Dartmouth High School, Birmingham

For some schools, a devastating fire might be an event both pupils and teachers want to forget. Not so the staff and schoolchildren of Dartmouth High School in Birmingham: they decided to use it as the inspiration for a number of artistic projects.

The fire itself was captured on camera, so the pupils could watch the event in order to make their own personal responses to it through painting, printmaking, pastel, scraperboard and ICT (Information Communication Technology).

In addition to exploring their feelings about the fire, teacher Stephen Arrandale led the children as they researched and discussed relevant art, including the work of Cornelia Parker, Graham Sutherland and Anish Kapoor.

A montage of the work produced is displayed in the school, 'reminding people of the tragedy but also serving to showcase the role of art'.

Dartmouth High School, Birmingham
www.schools.sandwell.net/dartmouth