Children arriving at Bracken Edge Primary School in Leeds each day are met by a spectacular mosaic. It is the result of a project undertaken by the children with the help of a team of local artists and more than 500 people from the community.
The mosaic, which was inspired by the work of artists such as Antoni Gaud!, has transformed the front wall of the school and consists of thousands of individual tiles pieced together to create a Mediterranean vista inspired by the four elements. There are also some unusual features such as golden birds' nests.
The mosaic is part of a project by Space@Bracken Edge that was set up to promote community involvement in arts and sports activities.
Chris Walton, headteacher at Bracken Edge Primary School, explains how the project came about. 'This mosaic is the culmination of a lot of hard work and co-ordination by our Space@ manager and our main partner artist Alan Pergusey.
'Alan and other partner artists worked with a wide range of community groups and children across the school around the theme of the four elements. Children in school, from Foundation Stage to Year 6, worked in groups with a variety of artists to develop designs for their mosaic tiles, which were brought together to form the design you see on the front of the building.'
While the bigger picture was decided by Mr Walton, Alan Pergusey and the Space@Bracken Edge manager, the details were decided by the children. With several artists involved in the project, each one was able to sit down with a different class to discuss ideas. The children came up with the designs, the artists put them together and the porcelain tiles were then cut out and cemented on.
Space@Bracken Edge's partners, Phoenix Dance Theatre, Northern Ballet Theatre and Yorkshire Dance, contributed to the finished piece, reflecting the activities of their particular organisations.
Creative process
Children in the Foundation Stage participated in the design stage by making drawings which the artists then interpreted. They are now continuing the theme by spending time looking at Gaud!-related pictures. The children go for walks to the park, look at the colours and discuss the changes. As Mr Walton puts it, 'They are continuing the work but going off in a slightly different direction.'
Bracken Edge is keen for creativity to play a big part in the children's education. Mr Walton says, 'At the heart of the school's development is the belief that the arts and creativity can build upon and improve children's abilities across the curriculum.'
The idea is that if the children are hooked on a project they will learn more, not just in terms of the arts but by being involved in everything. Mr Walton continues, 'We are looking at ways of redesigning the curriculum around the arts and creativity as well as looking at how creative processes and outcomes can be a part of all learning and teaching. This project is an example of how the arts and creativity can come together with other areas of development, such as the development of citizenship, to change for the better real-life situations.'
He feels that the children have gained a tremendous amount from the project, ranging from feelings of achievement to improvements in their self-esteem. 'The impact of this work is beginning to be seen - in terms of achievement, in terms of relationships within and beyond the school, and in terms of its impact on the whole of the school,' says Mr Walton.
Meanwhile Alan Pergusey, the school's main partner artist, has also benefited from the project. 'I found the work really rewarding,' he says.
'Because of the nature of the project it is important to hold back on ideas for the children. It was difficult to visualise at first but it turned out better than I expected.' NW