Local art collective, RampArts Jersey and Grouville Primary School’s wonderful working relationship has continued, with the ECO Club project 2022.
RampArts and Grouville Primary School first collaborated on a school wide art competition, where the winners’ illustrations were painted on to a bus shelter mural by RampArtists at Grouville Station.
From there Heather Brown, RampArts Founder, went on to tailor an Art Day for the school, which encouraged all year groups to get creative. Activities varied from paper collage, flower garland making, photography on Gorey Castle and water colours at the Common, all lead by creatives in the local art collective, RampArts.
RampArts also supported the Grouville Summer Fair by providing live music for the event, and have since been approached by Sharon Kellett, the school’s Eco-Club teacher.
Heather told us: “Sharon and her team are passionate about the planet and wanted to celebrate our story through Covid whilst highlighting the dangers of plastic waste and materials that have come through due to the pandemic. I couldn’t think of a better fit for the project than Kelly Eastwood, who also has a passion for our earth, and an active eco supporter.”
Kelly said: “Eco-friendly living is pivotal if we are to preserve our planet and it is very important to me, that we engage and inspire children to create a better planet – they are our agents of the future after all! When I discovered that the children of Grouville Primary, had such a passionate and active Eco-Club, I just had to get involved.
“The children sent in their posters and their thoughts and feelings of Covid were illustrated in such a powerful way, not only the impact that the pandemic had on the human race, but the planet too.”
Heather added: “Using posters produced by the Eco team, we were able to identify common themes to include on a display board, using old masks, plastic parts from lateral flow tests such as the red caps, and recycled materials. It wasn’t long before Mrs Kellett and Kelly had agreed a final design.
“A date was set to create the display with the children. It was important to include the whole school in the project and make the creation of the board as interactive as possible. Year 1 groups were tasked with making red handprints for the border of the display, and pupils were invited to stick their own red caps to a large heart throughout the day too.
“Other year groups decorated heart shaped balloons and tied lateral flow tests to the strings like bows. By the final bell, the display was completed!”
Sharon added: “Thank you for bringing this idea to life for us.”
The main picture shows Eco club teacher Sharon Kellett and artist Kelly Eastwood.