Reflections on the After School Sessions

Since the Autumn of last year i have engaged in periodic After School Clubs with the progression team. This has involved assisting the tutors of sessions and keeping tabs on the more disruptive students. The first term of sessions were centred around animation, meaning that my initial technical input was limited. However, the sessions paired with the workshops in the concurrent module involving animation meant that each week I had more to bring, and thus teach.

The session above involved assisting students with their claymations. Unsurprisingly most of their animations involved gratuitous violence. I found it enjoyable to pass on my limited knowledge of animation, and in turn I was able to learn a great deal about softwares such as iMovie.

The session above was led by representatives of the ThoughBubble convention, meaning that Zatul, Paisley and me being the student ambassadors were free to simply join in with the workshop. I exploited my access to a printer and created a Keanu Reeves lantern, as I found this concept most amusing.

This year, the sessions focus around text and image, which is more familiar territory for me and Zatul.
During the session shown above we discussed the importance of sketchbooks, whilst passing around examples of our own.

Overall I have found the sessions a highly beneficial, they have conveniently allowed me to improve my image-making techniques, whilst working to pass on the knowledge to GCSE students who are frequently from schools where the arts are poorly taught or neglected. My social abilities have been refined somewhat, talking in-front of groups at length has become far easier.