CHILDREN at Oxford School have been working with an artist to make their own films.

And the subjects for the films? Themselves.

Staff from city gallery Modern Art Oxford teamed up with the school, in Glanville Road, East Oxford, to offer art pupils a two-day film-making workshop with Spanish artist Cova Macias.

Charlotte Gretton, school partnerships co-ordinator for the gallery, said: “The students had never worked with an artist like her before and at first they were all a bit nervous about what was going to happen.

“In the end, they excelled themselves and they were absolutely brilliant.”

Ms Macias, who currently has an exhibition at Modern Art Oxford, creates videos which are portraits of young people, addressing how they construct their identity and present themselves.

The group of 10 art pupils in Year 10, aged 14 and 15, spent the first day of the project planning exactly what they were going to film.

On the second day, they turned the cameras on themselves.

They recorded material for three different films, which will be edited by local film-maker Adrian Spencer before they are screened at the Pembroke Street gallery next month.

Miss Gretton said: “We have ended up with footage for three really good films.

“I think they learned a lot about making the time to plan, rather than just diving in, and they have also had the chance to work with an artist from another country.

“It was also an opportunity to talk about themselves in relation to artwork, rather than just drawing something that already exists. I really was impressed.”

The children will be invited to the gallery for the premiere screening and their entire year group will visit the gallery to see Ms Macias’s exhibition – her first in the UK – entitled Encounters: Cova Macias.

The exhibition is on display until Sunday, November 29, featuring three of the artist’s videos. For details, see modernart oxford.org.uk The pupils’ films will be shown on Wednesday, November 11, between 6pm and 8pm. The screening is free, but places must be booked in advance by calling 01865 813800.