Tameside Cultural Services supports many organisations and projects across the borough, so when Paula Moses and Rebecca Gough from ‘Permanent Education’ approached us with their Jubilee Community project we were more than happy to support. Funded by the National Lottery Community Fund, the project involved working with school pupils to co-create a design for a piece of art to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee and Stalybridge’s status as Greater Manchester’s Town of Culture 2022.

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The completely outdoor and multi-functional project worked with over 120 pupils, from Millbrook Primary School and Wildbank Primary School in Stalybridge, to combine art and permaculture through the glue of 4Cs thinking skills (Creativity, Collaboration, Critical and Caring thinking).

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Pupils were introduced to the principles of permaculture through making wildflower seed-bombs, drawing close observations of wild flowers and examining the inputs and outputs of a wildflower meadow. Pupils used dialogue to think critically and creatively about ‘What is Art?’ and used caring thinking to find out about an artist in order to create a piece of art inspired by their work. The pupils went on to create their own artistic wooden discs using bush craft skills and a painted canvas of wildflower meadows.

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The final part of the project saw the installation of a piece of art designed and commissioned by the pupils for their local greenspace. The final sculpture was created by chainsaw artist, Mike Burgess.

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Paula Moses, Director at Permanent Education CIC explains, ‘This isn’t just a fun project to do at the end of term – feedback from schools states that it provides a real opportunity for pupils to learn about art, nature and community as well as develop their speaking & listening and 4Cs thinking skills’.

Rebecca Gough, Co-Director at Permanent Education CIC, adds ‘We are very grateful for the support we have received for this project – not only from the National Lottery Communities Fund but importantly from PG Fabrications in Hyde, who have kindly installed the finished sculpture for free in Woodview Park. We would also like to thank Tracy Webster and her team at the TMBC Culture who provided the Arts Award booklets and certificates for 120 pupils and TMBC Greenspace who helped us find the perfect place for the sculpture!’

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The finished sculpture is now on display at Woodview Park, Carrbook, SK15.

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The project saw the pupils achieve their Arts Award Discover. Tameside Cultural Services are an Arts Award centre and we have helped support thousands of pupils across Tameside achieve Arts Award.  Find out more information about how we can support schools and groups here

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