This art is really 'hands-on'

Middlestone Moor Primary School received a tremendous response to their community artwork project. The idea behind 'Show of Hands' was a relatively simple one – pupils, parents, teachers and support staff at the school would make an imprint of one hand on a piece of fabric, producing a piece of work by a large number of artists. Amongst those who arrived early on Wednesday 15th July to preserve their hand-print for posterity were the schools Chair of Governors, the local police officer, and Deputy Mayor of Spennymoor Garry Heslop, who then had to dash off to another civic engagement. The project was devised by teacher Vicky Ripley according to pupils Simon Tong and Beck Pollard, and they should know, since they were playing their part by applying paint to hands from early in the day. One group who were happy to 'lend a hand' were the children from the school's nursery department – over forty of them – who arrived in an orderly group with their teachers, and waited very patiently for their turn. It is intended that the finished work will be displayed, probably in the reception area of the school, later in the year.