Tuesday 28 July 2009

Amanda helps pupils achieve ecology award.


PUPILS at an Ivybridge primary school have enjoyed a series of ecological art workshops with Amanda Pellatt, who is a resident artists at the Duchy Square Centre for Creativity in Princetown.

Youngsters at Erme Primary School worked closely with art and ecology expert Amanda, before the end of the school year to help them "connect with their environment through the arts".

Teachers said that Amanda played a key role in the school's bid for eco-status through the workshops.

Amanda organised activities for about 100 children as part of a social arts practice initiative focused on the River Erme Valley, where she lives.

The school is seeking eco-status, a Government-backed initiative aiming to ensure every school is sustainable by 2020. It is an international awards programme that guides schools through the process to help embed eco-principles at the heart of school life.

During three sessions at Long Timber Woods, pupils from Years 3 to 6 at the school used their imaginations to pretend they were hearing sounds from the environment through a cardboard ipod made by Amanda.

During the fun sessions, the children also went bug hunting, framed leaves to make art and created an eco-web, showing how all the flora and fauna in the environment connect to each other.

It was the first time Amanda has worked with a school as part of her project in the River Erme valley. She said "The idea is to help people re-engage with their local environment and get to know it in more detail using the arts in all its forms as a catalyst. I wanted to give the children the opportunity to take part in fun activities on an eco-theme that could really help them in their bid for eco-status."

The project - entitled River Erme Valley, Mouth to Source - is an extension of Amanda's Masters Degree in Art and Ecology.

For more information go to www.duchysquare.org

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