From the outset I recognised the educational potential of FOOTPRINT and was keen to work with primary schools in the more remote communities of the region; schools that had the Lakeland fells as a backdrop to daily life.
Working closely with Cumbria Arts in Education a number of potential places were identified and contacted. From these seven came forward enthusiastically to take part in the project.
* Patterdale, Ullswater
* Hawkshead, Ambleside
* Ennerdale and Kinniside, Cleator Moor
* Eaglesfield Paddle, Cockermouth
* Staveley, Kendal
* Langdale, Ambleside
* Threlkeld, Keswick
I visited each of the school briefly in September to introduce myself to the pupils and explain the intentions of the project prior to setting off into the hills.
Then throughout March 2005 I spent two days at each of the schools. We started with a walk from each to look at the landscape on their doorstep. I encouraged the pupils to look at the micro as well as the macro environment that surrounded them and see the close relationship between the man-made and natural landscape.
Using what they had they seen, sketched and photographed the pupils were encouraged to create artwork around a variety of subjects that are an important aspect of the Cumbrian fells. Weather, boundaries, water and mining activities were just some of the subjects chosen.
There is a wealth of beautiful writing on the region and I was also keen for the schools to incorporate text as part of the project, either within the artwork or separately as prose or poetry. Several schools produced remarkable supplementary work beyond what the project originally intended.
One large piece of artwork involving all the pupils was created by each of the schools together with individual art pieces. An exhibition of a selection of their work was held at The Greystones Gallery, Glenridding for a six week period in the summer of 2005 and gave visitors to the Lake District and locals alike an idea of how the children viewed their surroundings. The exhibition garnered the most positive response in the gallery's short history.
The overall objective was to increase the children's awareness of what surrounds them and try to make them feel that they live in a precious and unique environment. By involving them in such a considered and eye-opening project I hoped to instil a sense of belonging and life-lasting appreciation of the Cumbrian Fells.
I would ideally like to take the project to other primary schools but with a larger emphasis placed on photography. I would also love to carry out a longer project involving sixth form art students within the region.
Please contact me if you would like further information on using FOOTPRINT as an educational project.
