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Alison Cockcroft

Disciplines

Sculpture

Workshops for Ages

Any

Workshops Offered

I work with a range of materials for drawing, collage and 3D construction including willow, wire, card, paper and recycled materials.

Themes and ideas vary according to the particular needs of schools and have previously included insects, animals, journeys, local history, architecture and imaginary worlds. All workshops relate closely to my studio practice in terms of the approach and materials used and as a source of inspiration.

I have experience of and am happy to work with all age groups from early years to adult. I have run a number of training days for teachers at both primary and secondary level.

I also work on many performance and processional projects with other arts practitioners such as actors, dancers and musicians. These involve elements of carnival costume, giant puppets and processional structures and stage costume and props.

Artist Statement

I studied Fine Art Sculpture in Stoke On Trent graduating with BA(hons) 1st class in 1986. I also have a PGCE from Bretton Hall College in Yorkshire. I taught art in secondary schools in Hampshire and Surrey for four years and also gained experience of teaching adult education classes and delivering art projects in youth centers from 1990-1998.

In 1998 I moved to Stroud in order to concentrate more on the development of my own artwork. I am based at Stroud Valleys Artspace, a vibrant and thriving artists collective and shared studio space. My sculptural pieces, made from copper and reclaimed tin and my paper collages are widely exhibited and are gaining national recognition.

I have continued to work regularly with schools and community groups in Gloucestershire, Somerset, Worcestershire, Wiltshire and Oxfordshire. As well as delivering one off workshops I have worked on many more extended projects. A recent example is the Safe Routes Project in Somerset which spanned two terms in 2006 with children from schools around Glastonbury and explored the theme of journeys to school (see Somerset Artweek Website for further info). Another example was an early years creativity project in Gloucestershire in 2005. For this I worked in two day nurseries in Cheltenham over a ten week period to develop projects that would encourage and extend creative development.

I also undertake commissions that result in permanent artworks that have been developed collaboratively with children through a workshop process. One example is ‘Cats Eyes’ which are small sculptures encased in Perspex and embedded in the cycle path at Cotswold Water Park. These depict bird life and were designed through workshops with year 6 children at Bridlewood Primary School in Swindon in 2005. In collaboration with landscape gardner, Martin Humphreys I have also worked on a number of creative designs for school grounds which include living willow structures, pebble and tile mosaics and seating.