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Atelierista - Artist in Residence

What is an Artist in Residence?

An Atelier is a place for creativity and an Atelierista is the person who brings this place to life for children.
This comes from the Reggio Emilia Approach, which our school follows.

By bringing in an artist - someone who is creative and brings a creativity or specialist skills to the place of learning- we enrich the learning experiences of our children. Our Artist in Residence is Mr Sarkis, a trained carpenter from Costa Rica.

Bringing Learning to Life: Mr Sarkis’ Work Across the School

At Maylands, we’re incredibly proud of the work Mr Sarkis leads with our children across all year groups. His hands-on, practical sessions help children develop essential life skills, creativity, confidence, and emotional intelligence.

From tool use to building ponds, pathways to traverse rope challenges and camp fire skills, Mr Sarkis supports children in exploring the world beyond the classroom safely and with a sense of purpose.

He has worked alongside children to build benches, greenhouses, raised garden beds, totem poles to represent our classes, and so much more. His work isn’t just about building physical items, it’s about building resilience and learning skills for life.

Many children who struggle with regulation or focus find success and calm through practical tasks guided by Mr Sarkis. He helps them achieve things they never thought they could - and in doing so, boosts their confidence, emotional wellbeing, and motivation. His sessions are not only unforgettable; they’re transformational.