At last Wednesday’s (16th March) Kid’s Art Class we got the children preparing artwork for our upcoming ‘Bye to the Bells‘ event on 1st April.

We brought in ceramic bells for the kids to decorate which will be used for an installation in the stairwells of the Drumfrochar Road flats. During the ‘Heid O’ the Hill’ project, we have frequently returned to the iconic ‘bell-towers’ of the flats for inspiration, making light-up igloos in homage to the actual igloo made by a Broomhill family this winter which in turn echoed the shape of the bells. We’ve also created sun-catchers which were influenced by the patterns and lights in the windows of the flats on Drumfrochar Road.

For this session, the children decorated the insides of the bells however they wished, giving them the chance to express their personalities within the artwork. Leaving the bells blank on the outside means the installation feels unified and is aesthetically pleasing. However, once viewers pass underneath the bells, the colourful undersides are revealed, and the personal element is experienced.

As well as decorating the inside of the bells, the children also wrote messages on ribbon and attached these to the ornaments. The messages are intended to reflect on the Broomhill area, Drumfrochar Square, and the people within. This allowed for a process of experimentation, with the children taking a vote on whether the ribbons should be tied inside or outside the bells: attaching the ribbons to the inside meant the bells didn’t ring, but some children thought this looked better than tieing them to the outside. In the end, the children went for a half-half approach.

We’re really excited to install these ceramics bells inside the stairwells of the Drumfrochar Road bell towers, along with all the other artworks and music we’ll have on display. Make sure you come along to experience it for yourself and commemorate the flats before they are demolished.

‘Bye to the Bells’ will be happening on April 1st at Drumfrochar Sqaure from 6pm-9pm.