Last year, a group of talented Year 9 artists took part in a truly enriching experience that brought together culture, creativity and community. Their journey began with a visit to the New Art Gallery in Walsall to view The World Belongs to Us—a powerful exhibition celebrating artists of South Asian heritage. Through artwork exploring migration, belonging and identity across the UK, USA and Canada, students gained deeper insights into cultural narratives and artistic expression.
The visit included a special workshop led by contemporary Midlands artist Exodus Crooks, titled Race, Heritage and Identity. This thought-provoking session encouraged students to reflect on what they’d seen and consider how to explore similar themes in their own work.
Back in the classroom, Mrs Hall launched a new and exciting project that focused on the industrial heritage of Wolverhampton—particularly the stories of immigrants who worked in low-paid manual jobs and faced racial prejudice. Students explored the vibrant work of British-Punjabi artist Chila Kumari Singh Burman and used her fusion of culture and contemporary art as inspiration.
Blending research and imagination, students studied local and Punjabi architecture, digitally designing “hybrid” buildings in the spirit of Chitra Ganesh, and bringing them to life with vibrant Posca pens and jewel embellishments. Their final creations were ceramic tiles combining Wolverhampton’s industrial forms with ornate Punjabi-inspired windows, motifs and patterns, glazed in dazzling colours to echo a jewel-like finish.
This powerful project not only developed artistic skills but gave students a richer appreciation of heritage, culture, and identity through art—beautifully blending past and present into something completely their own.
To read more about how the case study written by Mrs Hall, click here.
