Kettle’s Yard is delighted to be part of The Wild Escape, a nation-wide project which invites primary school children (ages 7-11) to explore nature with their local museum and create an artwork imagining a natural habitat. All of the artworks were brought together in an epic collective artwork across the UK, unveiled on Earth Day (Saturday 22 April).
Kettle’s Yard is partnering with Chesterton Primary School and working with artist facilitator Jacquie Campbell to look closely and investigate the trees on our doorsteps and their importance to our ecology.
The project began with a hybrid session where students explored the Kettle’s Yard House with our Learning team with a focus on nature and found objects in the collection. The virtual visit allowed the school to reduce their carbon footprint as the students didn’t have to use a coach to get to Kettle’s Yard but they did interact, ask questions and respond to the collection.
Objects from the natural world play a very important role at Kettle’s Yard. Pebbles are arranged on the round tables in Jim Ede’s bedroom and sitting room, plants are displayed in the two large windows, and seeds, shells and bones are scattered amongst the rooms. The pupils even noticed the breastbone of a bird displayed amongst the plants on the bridge.
Inspired by Jim and Helen Ede and their love for nature, the students then explored their own playground at Chesterton Primary School through new eyes alongside artist Jacquie Campbell. Whilst exploring the nature in their playground, the children also learnt how they can care for habitats and living things. Students investigated their trees through bark and leaf rubbings, they did paintings and drawings, modelled the tree from clay and listened to the natural and human sounds around them.
Throughout the project, we thought carefully about the materials we use, the waste we produce, and how to communicate ideas with the least environmental impact.
Once back in the classroom, students created concertina books to share what they had discovered about their chosen tree and the creatures that might live inside, under or on it.
Inspired by the St Edmund piece at Kettle’s Yard, which is a found burnt tree branch, the students used their trees to create a collaborative artwork. They created a forest of books which you could see on display at Kettle’s Yard on Earth Day 2023 as part of The Wild Escape project.
One teacher said that as a result of taking part in the project they now have “recognition of how to make better use of recycled materials and how to exploit the materials they already have in school.”
At the end of the project all of the students will receive their Discover Arts Award.
I hope my tree will encourage other children to explore nature in the future!
— STUDENT PARTICIPANT
Gallery
