Moorfield School and Nursery, in Ilkley, transformed its halls into a vibrant contemporary art gallery for a special exhibition, officially opened by local artist Helen Brayshaw and special guest Nick Hockney, the nephew of the legendary Yorkshire artist David Hockney.

The whole-school project saw children of all ages create original works inspired by the prestigious Turner Prize, with pieces displayed throughout the school in a public celebration of creativity and artistic expression.

Following a tour of the gallery, Mr Hockney was so impressed by the exceptional standard of the pupils’ work that he pledged to collaborate and work with Moorfield in a variety of creative ways over the coming academic year.

The concept for the exhibition was developed by Deputy Head and Director of Music and Art, Lynsey Rix, after visiting the Turner Prize exhibition at Cartwright Hall in Bradford. Inspired by the bold works on display, Mrs Rix challenged pupils to interpret contemporary art in their own unique ways.

Praising the standard of work on display, Nick Hockney encouraged the children to keep exploring the physical world around them.

He said: “This exhibition is really wonderful, congratulations, all inspired by the Turner Prize. This is not photography; it’s looking at space and looking at colour and putting it all together. Put your phones and iPads down and look with both eyes.

“The quality of work is exceptional. It’s what makes this school stand out against all the others, the creativity and high standards of work. The inspiration is amazing.”

The exhibition showcased a wide variety of media and techniques, including clay sculptures, suspended three-dimensional installations and large-scale collaborative artworks created by entire classes. In keeping with the school’s inclusive ethos, members of staff also contributed their own pieces to hang alongside the children’s work.

The event carried extra artistic heritage for the school community following Moorfield’s recent integration into the Bradford Grammar School Foundation. The late David Hockney was himself a distinguished alumnus of Bradford Grammar.

Mrs Rix said: “Visiting the Turner Prize exhibition sparked a vision to explore that same spirit of bold, contemporary creativity here at Moorfield. What started as a few ideas in a notebook grew into an incredible whole-school project.

“Our pupils embraced the challenge with fantastic imagination and enthusiasm, producing work that is thoughtful, playful and wonderfully individual. Having Helen and Nick here to celebrate their achievements was fantastic, and we are absolutely thrilled that Nick has offered to work with our pupils next year. Our minds are already whirling with the creative possibilities!”