Get a Virtual Arts Award this summer
While the Red House Glass Cone visitor centre has re-opened, children can still work towards an accredited, virtual Arts Award.
t follows news that parts of the iconic building are now open to the public. Social distancing measures are in place and people entering the visitor centre and individual studios are asked to wear a mask.
The popular visitor attraction in Wordsley has run the Arts Award Discover scheme over the last few years, delivering workshops for young people to help them develop their creativity and confidence. Arts Award is a set of awards for children and young people aged 25 and under that gets them involved in and excited about arts and culture and celebrates their creative achievements.
This year, with the pandemic preventing site visits and workshop sessions, the museums team has created an online version of the award which allows children aged 11 and under to work towards Discover at Home, a special version of Arts Award Discover, the first level of Arts Award.
Families simply need to visit the Red House Cone section of the council website and download the guide for children, the guide for parents and the Arts Award portfolio. Everything children need to research, discover and create can be accessed through the website including virtual tours and glassblowing videos.
Children can create a portfolio, identify objects, draw designs, watch a virtual guided tour and a glassblowing demo, learn about contemporary glass artists, look for and identify glass in their own home, and say how they’d curate their own exhibition.
Councillor Ian Kettle, cabinet member responsible for museums said:
It’s fantastic news that the Red House Glass Cone site will be opening from Monday, even if the cone itself remains temporarily closed. We have safety measures in place and we’re really looking forward to welcoming people back through our doors, it hasn’t been the same without them.
Our museums education staff have been hard at work over lockdown, completely revitalising the content on the website and putting in lots of interactive features such as virtual tours, demonstrations and activities.
Discover at Home is a fun way to spend as much or as little time as you like finding out about out glass heritage and the hidden gems located in the cone. It’s also a fun way to learn independently over the summer break.
Arts Award Discover is a foundation to introduce children to the world of the arts and culture and a springboard to other levels of Arts Award, which are qualifications regulated by Ofqual. Discover at Home enables children to be rewarded for the creative activities they enjoy. It supports children to connect with local museums, theatres and arts activities they enjoy and explore new ones, online or at home, until it’s possible to visit or engage with them again. Arts Award Discover can also be completed in more normal times, usually in partnership with school or a local arts organisation.
The cone itself will remain closed whilst essential repairs and maintenance are carried out. There will be no live glass blowing demonstrations and we have the craft programme has been suspended. Visitors to the site can download an Augmented Reality App and explore the site and see a virtual glass blowing demonstration. Its advised to downlad the app before visiting for a smoother experience. Just search for Red House Glass Cone on any phone appstore. Opening hours will be Monday to Friday 10 to 3pm and Saturday and Sunday 11 to 4pm.
The Arts Award Discover information can be downloaded from the cone’s pages on the council website