Case Study: “Encouraging Success”
127 Staff and Students at IQRA College
At IQRA College, 127 students and staff came together to create this collaborative artwork inspired by the school value of Aspiration.
Two large panels were developed using
turquoise drawn from the school logo, and the finished works now sit within the school as a visible reminder of wellbeing, connection, and pride.
What made this project work so well
Like all my collaborative art projects, we moved through three simple stages:
Messy Playing → Exploring → BLING
But this one stood out for scale.
During the Messy Playing stage, we filled two large canvases using:
- texture sponges
- masking techniques
- templates for layered patterning
- sgraffito mark-making
It was the biggest messy painting session I’ve ever facilitated.
Around 50 Reception students painted at the same time across two wide canvases, while others rotated through a social colouring page before swapping over. (Which was based on one of my social art projects - stay tuned, 😉)
There was paint everywhere.
Even with smocks… it still found its
way onto hands, sleeves, and tables.
And honestly—it was exactly as it should be.
The moment that stayed with me
One quiet moment really stood out.
A young student who had previously been hesitant about making her own artwork stepped into this group process—and fully
participated.
No hesitation. No worry about “doing it right.”
Just painting.
This is what collaborative art does so well:
it lowers the pressure and makes participation feel possible.
Her teacher was
thrilled.
Community support
A number of the paint pens used in this project were generously donated by Officeworks Marion, and their support made a real difference to what we were able to create together.
What this shows
When a group creates together like this:
- participation
increases
- confidence grows
- and the artwork becomes something the whole community owns
Not just something displayed… but something felt.
If you want to create something like this
If you work with a group—school, community, or support setting—you can run collaborative art projects like this even if your participants
don’t see themselves as “artistic.”
My Pattern Play resources give you a simple structure to make that happen:
- clear steps so you can guide a group with confidence
- easy pattern prompts to reduce “blank page” anxiety
- less planning, more painting
- a way to build connection through shared making
Explore Pattern Play resources below:
