Hale-based children’s arts club Parsley Pie is celebrating 15 years in business.
The brainchild of professional artist, Jenny Bent, the club offers art classes, workshops and parties for children from the ages of 12 months to 18 years. The success of the business has seen two new Parsley Pie clubs open in Stockport and Whitefield.
Jenny said it has always been about more than just teaching young artists how to paint a masterpiece.
“I found art college un-creative and unimaginative,” she said. “So when I launched Parsley Pie, I knew it was going to be different.
“Too many children these days don’t have time just to sit down with their thoughts. School and after-school activities are very regimented, allowing little room for young people to learn about themselves. Since day one, the ethos at Parsley Pie has been about giving children the space and the time to be spontaneous and explore who they are, how they feel about things and just to make a mess.”
Parsley Pie is run from Jenny’s professional art studio in Hale. “Just by looking at my studio you can tell it’s a well used creative space. There are layers and layers of paint, clay and glue on every single surface that has built up over years. It’s definitely not a sterile ‘paint a pot’ place. Classes are small, usually around 10 kids per group, which means I can focus on them as individuals rather than as one big group.”
After studying art at South Trafford College, Jenny juggled a career as an artist and a professional dancer. She set up Parsley Pie in 2001 and has inspired thousands of children from across the North West, many of whom return year after year. A passionate vegan and animal lover, Jenny is the mother of five-year-old boy, Theron, and is a strong advocate of helping young people develop a strong sense of self-esteem and self-belief from a very early age.
To mark the 15th anniversary, Jenny is holding an art exhibition in Hale Library from May 3-23, which will showcase pieces of artwork from her students. Over the summer months there will be special workshops where children will get to paint their own part of a huge 15th birthday canvas.
“In many schools art is at the bottom of the pile when it comes to giving – time, focus & funding. It can’t be graded like you can grade maths or music, so it’s a bit redundant in the minds and priorities of a lot of people.
“My workshops give kids the chance to make a mess that many parents don’t want in their homes or they haven’t got the time or space for. The kids get space to do things in their way in their own time. There’s no pressure and no curriculum. They work on their own personal projects and are responsible for the materials they use. There are no rules, apart from being polite and considerate at all times.”
For more details about Parsley Pie classes, visit http://www.parsleypie.com/.
