Category: Education

Rehana Packwood

Rehana Packwood recently joined the BNG team as our new Education Officer. Rehana recently returned home to Bermuda from London, where she was completing a Masters in Cultural and Creative Industries at Kings College.

Having spent several years teaching in both England and Japan, Rehana brings a fresh perspective to our arts education programming. Passionate about digital art, her first point of call is the Art & Tech Summer Camp, which returns in July and August with a focus on digital art making techniques for students age 11 to 14.

We sat down with Rehana to discuss her vision for BNG’s education programmes, the importance of art education and how art teaches us to challenge preconceptions and push boundaries.

BNG: Welcome to the BNG team! How have you found the first few weeks?

RP: Since I’ve been outside of Bermuda for a while, I’m enjoying the transition back. I was in London for most of the pandemic and after months on lockdown, it’s great to be back. Although unfortunately Bermuda went into lockdown a week after I joined the team so I haven’t spent much time in the gallery! I’m really enjoying being part of the team. I’m very excited for everything we have planned.

BNG: You have travelled extensively since leaving school – studying in the USA and the UK as well as spending two years teaching in Japan. What do you hope to bring back to Bermuda?

RP: I hope to be able to create a space for local kids and adults to be introduced to art programmes that haven’t been commonly available on island – from digital art fundamentals, animation, photo editing and collage to digital painting.

I hope to expand our educational programming to reach new groups. I am keen to introduce adult art programmes and after school programmes for older teens to help with portfolio development.

BNG: The Art & Tech summer camp programme will this year focus purely on digital art. Can you please tell us more about this?

RP: As my background is in digital art, I’m very excited about the plans we have for digital art programmes. A lot of professional artists work digitally and introducing students to the different types of art that technology opens up is something I’m passionate about.

We also plan to establish a series of after school programmes in the fall to continue teaching students about digital artwork and allow them to deepen their skills.

BNG: Do you make a lot of digital art yourself?

RP: My background is in animation and I really enjoy 3D modelling. Most often, though, I spend a lot of time digital painting. I love portraits in particular.

BNG: Why is art education so important?

RP: Art represents the way we interact with the world. History is often made and preserved through art. We learn about our past and depict our present through art. We learn to challenge preconceptions and push boundaries. We create and share culture through art. That is why art and art education are so important.

Click here to register for the Art & Tech Summer Camp.

Registration Now Open

Registration for the BNG Art & Tech Summer Camp is now open. The programme, which will run in July and August, will focus on digital art making techniques for students age 11 to 14 under the direction of our new Education Officer Rehana Packwood.

The camp will take 10 students per week who will be based between the gallery and a pop-up BNG Education Satellite Space in the nearby Washington Mall. Each student will be assigned an iPad and Apple Pencil to work with.

To ensure that as many students as possible have access to the course, registration is limited to one week per student. Students can choose from a variety of modules, which will be explored further in a digital art after school programme starting in September.

The cost of the camp is $250, and a BNG Family Membership is required. Bursaries are available for public school students; please email Rehana Packwood at education@bng.bm for details. 

Digital Art Fundamentals (July 5-9): This week will teach students how to use effects in digital art programmes to create 2D graphics and introduce digital illustration techniques.

Photo Editing & Collage (July 12-16, August 9-13): Using photography and photo editing techniques, this week will introduce students to digital collage and photobashing.

Animation (July 19-23, August 2-6 and 16-20): Students will learn the principles of animation and apply those to making short 2D animations.

Digital Painting: Landscapes (August 23-27): Inspired by BNG’s current exhibition Illusion & Abstraction: Capturing the Landscape, students will learn colour theory and perspective as well as digital painting techniques in order to create landscape paintings of their own.

Click here to register for the Art & Tech Summer camp.

Priority Booking for Members

The BNG Art & Tech Summer Camp returns in July and August with a focus on digital art making techniques under the direction of our new Education Officer Rehana Packwood.

Rehana recently returned from London to take up the role, where is she is completing an MA in Cultural and Creative Industries at King’s College, having spent several years teaching in both England and Japan.

The Art & Tech summer camp will be limited to 10 students per week, aged 11 to 14. Members will be given priority access for registration, which will open to them on April 14, and to the general public one week later. Click here to renew your membership today to ensure that you don’t miss out.

This year, the summer camp will be based between the gallery and a pop up BNG Education Satellite Space in the nearby Washington Mall. The focus will be purely on digital art making and each student will be loaned an I-pad and Apple pencil to work with.

To ensure that as many students as possible have access to the course, registration is limited to one week per student. They can choose from a variety of modules, which will be explored further in a digital art after school programme starting in September.

The cost of the camp is $250. You must be a BNG Family Member to register, membership includes unlimited free gallery access for up to 4 family members, invitations to exhibition previews and exclusive events plus priority access to all BNG education programmes, including the after school programmes launching later this year.