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Purbeck Young Artists

The very essence of PAW is to pass on a passion for art to the young people in our community. We are aware that art in schools has been cut over the years, and we feel that our special role is to encourage youngsters to enjoy the benefits of getting involved and experiment in making art. We work closely with local schools to celebrate and encourage art, and each year we try and involve around 500 Purbeck Young Artists (PYA) in creative activities.


PYA 2024

In 2024 we had a record number of 18 schools participating. The workshops were coordinated by local artist and teacher Sophie Jenkins, and were delivered by an amazing team of 6 local artists with a wealth of experience of working with young people. This year students were encouraged to develop art works on the theme of ‘Coastal Life’ – through a range of workshops includes, glass art, puppet making, painting banners, clay making, graffiti street art and 3D art using recycled materials.

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PYA 2023

In 2023 the children taking part in the PYA workshops were inspired by the festival theme of ‘Nature and the Environment’. The workshops were coordinated by Sophie Jenkins and were delivered by an amazing team of local artists with a wealth of experience of working with young people. This year the range of workshops included, ceramics, painting banners, sculptures from nature, mosaics and 3D art using recycled materials.

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PYA 2022

The PYA workshops took a different form this year as they focused on three main projects: Banners for Purbeck Young Musicians concert in the Mowlem Theatre, led by Sophie Jenkins, Puppetry/Movement workshops, led by Autin Dance Theatre and the Platinum Jubilee mural for Swanage seafront, led by Dawn Clark.

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PYA 2021

The 2021 workshops were greatly appreciated by schools as they emerged from a difficult year in 2020 dominated by Covid.  Four experienced artist teachers were able to deliver 10 workshops – thanks again to our generous sponsors. They included a wide spectrum of methods and media – using natural materials, wire, withies, photography, cardboard and collage and more to explore the theme of ‘renewal’.  The work produced was varied, imaginative and colourful. The children had a lot of fun as well as learning new skills, using unusual tools for painting and responding individually to a given task.

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PYA 2020

The PAW Festival was cancelled this year due to the Coronavirus pandemic.


PYA 2019

In 2019, thanks to the generosity of our local sponsors, we were again able to offer 17 workshops to schools across Purbeck. Led by four experienced artists the workshops took up the Festival theme of Flights of Fancy exploring various techniques that students might not otherwise experience: 3D assemblage, mono printing, metal work, rust printing, cyanotypes, stone carving and animation.

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PYA 2018

Purbeck Young Artists was very successful in 2018, with seventeen schools involved. The quality of the workshops results were higher than ever and the exhibition was excellent. We were able to offer students workshops that added to their skill set and we offered workshops that had not been offered previously. We had four very experienced artists on the team who ran excellent workshops based around the 2018 theme of Movement.

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PYA 2017

In 2017 we ran 15 workshops in schools to inspire young artists to be even more creative, enterprising and innovative – as well as have fun. The theme for Purbeck Young Artists 2017 was a Moment in Time and was chosen to give students the maximum scope to explore their imaginative range; encouraging them to draw inspiration from a wide range of sources and interpret the theme from varied perspectives. The range of workshops spanned textiles, metal work, photography, dance, ink painting, sewing, mosaics and clay modelling.

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PYA 2016

In 2016 we ran 15 workshops in local schools. The theme was Midsummer Dream.

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PYA 2014

In 2014 one of the workshops that we put on was animation. This is Donatella Saves the Festival by Bovington Primary School. The festival theme in 2014 was Venetian Carnival.