Children at HILLCREST PRIMARY SCHOOL, Bristol have been taking part in an exciting creative arts project! Designing and making a tree sculpture from re-used plastic bottles they have collected.
All 420 children at the school took part in workshops over two days with Creative Kids International, making the tree and recording stories and soundscapes all about trees.
The tree sculpture and children’s recordings will be exhibited THIS SATURDAY (19th Nov) at the ‘FRONT ROOM' ART TRAIL, on a community space (known as Zone A) next to the The Bush pub on the Wells Road, Totterdown.
As well as seeing the tree, children will be able to take part in FREE art workshops, plant a seed to take home, and witness the tree come to life through storytelling and song!
‘TREE TALES’ will be exhibited SATURDAY 19th NOVEMBER 1pm – 6pm
on Zone A, the green space next to The Bush pub on the Wells Road, Totterdown.
Bring your kids along -
1 – 4pm: Art workshops and plant a seed to take home!
4pm: Storytelling and song!
STORIES FROM ZAMBIA....
Another exciting element to this project which was part funded by the ‘Filwood, Knowle and Windmill Hill Neighbourhood Partnership Fund’ is opening up a dialogue between children in Bristol and children and young people in Lusaka, Zambia, where Creative Kids International work with partner organization Barefeet Theatre. Young people from Barefeet Children’s Council recorded stories, facts and thoughts about trees in Zambia which were played to the children at Hillcrest Primary before workshops started. They also learnt a Zambian song about Mango Trees! The recordings from Zambia will form part of the exhibition this weekend, and recordings from the children at Hillcrest Primary will be sent back to them in Zambia.
WHY TREES?
This project was inspired by Barefeet Theatre facilitators' stories about the trees in Fountain of Hope Children's Centre, Lusaka where they grew up. Three trees still stand in the grounds of the centre, which before there were any buildings were used for; sleeping under, cooking under and learning under.
We were so inspired by how important the trees in the children’s centre in Lusaka had been, and what they had witnessed change around them over the years, that we wanted to do something where children and young people here in Bristol and in Lusaka, could share their stories about trees and their communities. Trees are such a vital part of our lives and our communities wherever we live in the world, and we felt it would be a great way of children in both countries sharing stories and information with each other, as well as thinking about their environment.
The project began in July when Creative Kids International ran an introductory workshop with two Year 5 classes at Hillcrest Primary School. Working with Mia Harris and Sian Lamprey from Creative Kids International and visiting artists Charlie Henry and Stewart Wright, the Year 5 students took part in one of three different tree themed workshops; Tree Designing; Tree Storytelling; Tree Drama Workshop. The Year 5s’ designs, stories and photographs were exhibited in August at the new M-Shed Museum in Bristol as part of the 'Pride of Place' Neighbourhood Partnership Awards. Then before the whole school began working on the project, the Year 5s spent a day with Creative Kids International, testing their designs through scrap model making, in order to decide what materials would work best for the large tree sculpture.
More info:
Front Room Art Trail – www.frontroom.org.uk
Barefeet Theatre – www.barefeettheatre.org
Filwood, Knowle and Windmill Hill Neighbourhood Partnership Fund www.bristolpartnership.org
