Participants select a work of art and prepare and deliver a presentation on the work to an audience. Consideration is given to the content, structure and delivery of the presentations.

Freya gave an insightful and considered presentation inspired by two recent school trips. Her chosen work of art was the portrait of Harold Pinter by Justin Mortimer she saw on a visit to the National Portrait Gallery with the art scholars last term. Freya had seen two of Pinter’s short plays in London the previous year, and his writing, as well as the striking composition of the portrait, informed her speech.

The adjudicator, Susanna Denniston, Chair of Trustees, Salisbury Museum congratulated all speakers for the enormous amount of work that they put into their presentations which clearly came cross. She selected Freya to go on to attend the Southern Regional Final to be held at the Ashmolean in March. Susanna praised Freya for her strong beginning to the presentation and how her interest in Pinter’s portrait was piqued by his writings. Susanna stated how Freya’s visceral reaction to the portrait was brilliantly conveyed, and for her fluent and well-paced delivery.

Congratulations to Freya on this achievement and we all wish her good luck at Regional Final.

The Abbey has been participating in ARTiculation since 2015, when the school’s entrant, Eleanor Stephens won the national event. It has proved to be a much anticipated and enjoyed event in our school calendar and the audiences of pupils and staff always gain huge insight and knowledge into a variety of artworks. The participants develop valuable research and presentation skills and the experience is a truly enriching one for all involved.