The document provides information about a competition for UK secondary school students to design a rat sculpture to be displayed on the Fourth Plinth in Trafalgar Square, London. Students are instructed to use Banksy's stencils of anti-social rats as inspiration and create a sculpture that comments on an issue affecting Londoners. Examples of issues mentioned include anti-social behavior, pollution, poverty, and anti-war sentiments. The competition aims to select the best rat sculpture from each class to be exhibited at the school and submitted to the Fourth Plinth Secondary Schools Competition.

1. Year 9: Banksy Rat Fourth Plinth Project

2. The Fourth Plinth The Fourth Plinth Secondary Schools Competition CLICK HERE What is on the Fourth Plinth? From 1841 until 1999 there was nothing on the Fourth Plinth in the north-west of Trafalgar Square, and it was sometimes referred to as the 'empty plinth'. It is now the location for contemporary art works, commissioned specially from leading artists, which are housed on the plinth for a year or two each. The choice of works is led by the Fourth Plinth Commissioning Group. Mark Quinn’s marble sculpture of the Alison Lapper, who is disabled and was pregnant when being sculpted was on the Fourth Plinth in 2008.

3. The Fourth Plinth Proposals Anthony Gormley Anthony Gormley proposed that a safety net be constructed beneath the plinth and for general members of the public to be able to stand on top of the plinth for 10-minutes. It would be manned for the duration of the time that the sculpture was commissioned for. What do you think Gormley was trying to say about London and its people?

4. The Fourth Plinth Proposals Yinka Shonibare Jeremey Deller Mark Quinn Look at the proposals below and try to answer the following questions: Question 1: Explain the sculpture using only 5 keywords. Question 2: What do you think the artist is saying about London?

6. Artist Profile: Katarina Fritsch

8. ‘ Rat King’ By Katharina Fritsch

10. Artist Profile: Banksy

12. Banksy uses stencils to make statements about everything from the WAR to politics, big business, government oppression, and the mess we're making of the environment

20. Printable Resources

21. Fourth Plinth Brief Summary You have been commissioned to create a rat sculpture for the empty Fourth Plinth in Trafalgar Square. Specifications Using BANKSY’s stencils of anti-social rats as a starting point, create a rat sculpture that makes a statement about an issue affecting Londoners. Competition There will be a vote for the best rat sculpture(s) in each class. These will be exhibited at school and submitted* to the ‘Fourth Plinth Secondary Schools Competition’. Visit the site for further details: www.london.gov.uk/fourthplinth/schoolsaward Examples of Issues Anti-social behaviour Pollution Anti-War Poverty Fourth Plinth Brief Summary You have been commissioned to create a rat sculpture for the empty Fourth Plinth in Trafalgar Square. Specifications Using BANKSY’s stencils of anti-social rats as a starting point, create a rat sculpture that makes a statement about an issue affecting Londoners. Competition There will be a vote for the best rat sculpture(s) in each class. These will be exhibited at school and submitted* to the ‘Fourth Plinth Secondary Schools Competition’. Visit the site for further details: www.london.gov.uk/fourthplinth/schoolsaward Examples of Issues Anti-social behaviour Pollution Anti-War Poverty

22. BANKSY RATS EXERCISE Task 1: Practice copying some of Banksy’s Rats. Start by sketching out in pencil and then use a black felt tip or ink. Task 2: Cut out one of the rats and create a stencil, which should be printed into your sketchbook Cut out one of the rats and create a stencil, which should be printed into your sketchbook Cut out one of the rats and create a stencil, which should be printed into your sketchbook Cut out one of the rats and create a stencil, which should be printed into your sketchbook Cut out one of the rats and create a stencil, which should be printed into your sketchbook Cut out one of the rats and create a stencil, which should be printed into your sketchbook Cut out one of the rats and create a stencil, which should be printed into your sketchbook

23. BANKSY HOMEWORK Create a BANKSY presentation page in your sketchbook. Label the page with a title and draw some of his stencils of rats around London. BANKSY HOMEWORK Create a BANKSY presentation page in your sketchbook. Label the page with a title and draw some of his stencils of rats around London. BANKSY HOMEWORK Create a BANKSY presentation page in your sketchbook. Label the page with a title and draw some of his stencils of rats around London. BANKSY HOMEWORK Create a BANKSY presentation page in your sketchbook. Label the page with a title and draw some of his stencils of rats around London. BANKSY HOMEWORK Create a BANKSY presentation page in your sketchbook. Label the page with a title and draw some of his stencils of rats around London. BANKSY HOMEWORK Create a BANKSY presentation page in your sketchbook. Label the page with a title and draw some of his stencils of rats around London.

24. SKETCHING EXERCISE Based on the template of a rat, create two drawings to form the basis of your sculpture