My Comic Art Masterclasses for 2020 began up the Welsh valleys in Ysgol Y Lawnt, the most Welsh school I've taught in yet. All the kids and teachers speak Welsh to each other most of the time, meaning I had no idea what anyone was talking about it the classroom, and all the signs and notices are in Welsh too. Luckily everyone also speaks English so the classes went swimmingly. A perfect start to my school year, followed by a drive from Rhymney to Kettering.
St Andrews Primary in Kettering had me in for two days and, starting the year with a jump in the deep end, featured two Mega Groups. Mega Groups are a thing I do, not too often if I can help it, so that schools can include as many pupils as possible. You see usually my workshops work with one class at a time, with up to 30 in a class, at the end of which everyone goes away with a comic containing a strip by every one of them and a caricature by me. With a Mega Group I bring two classes together, so that's 60 pupils, and we go between the hall and their respective classrooms, doing the demonstration bits together, then the drawing in their individual groups. So one class gets to name the comic, and the other class gets their caricatures drawn. It's not ideal, as I'm not able to spend so much time with each class, and half the pupils do their drawings without any help from me (resulting in lots of falling into "The Tiny Trap" and other problems I can normally spot). But they seemed happy enough and, impressing even myself, I managed to get two lots of caricatures drawn. Meaning, along with the afternoon's 'normal' class, I taught and drew 90 pupils in a day.
Day 2 in Kettering saw another Mega Group of Year 3/4s. Sadly, because there was an extra long assembly in the middle of the morning I only got one class's caricatures drawn. To be fair, I'm probably the only person who knew or cared, but all the same, chiz chiz which is a swizz as any fule kno.
The celebrities these first 6 groups of the year chose to appear in my demonstration strip were Kevin Hart, Amanda Holden, Ariana Grande (twice), Kim Kardashian, and Billie Eilish.
Kev F Sutherland, as well as writing and drawing for The Beano, Marvel, Doctor Who et al, runs Comic Art Masterclasses in schools, libraries & art centres. email for details. Facebook, Twitter. Promo video here.
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