In order to promote the National Articulation Competition, two of our Sixth Form students, Grace and Dominic spoke to members of the Year 10 Athenaeum. Grace, who had already delivered her talk to the whole of the Middle School talked to the group about why she had undertaken the project, what it had involved, and the benefits accrued. As well as being able to present about her particular enthusiasm for Egyptology, she talked about the study skills she had acquired as well as the confidence gained from addressing large audiences.

Dominic then delivered his talk about the work entitled Der Schwebende or the floating one. Created by the German artist Ernst Barlach in 1927.Dominic pointed out that translations of the term had taken to adding the word angel which had not been there in the original. He skilfully described the features of the suspended figure and some of the techniques in making it but what was perhaps most interesting was its political context. Set against the legacy of the end of WWI and the rise of Nazism the sculpture fell foul of the Nazi attitudes to expressive art and indeed the sculpture we see today was re cast from the original mould, the first sculpture having been destroyed.

Grace and Dominic gave a great insight into the nature and value of the competition, but equally importantly the pleasure of learning and of sharing that enthusiasm with others.