News

Art is too important not to share; impressively, for students from Washington Academy, their artwork is now on display at SunderLight!

The school, which is part of Consilium Academies, has been working with Wonder Made Wild to create three pieces of work for SunderLight, a new venture to deliver a community-based light event for Sunderland.

Pupils from Washington Academy’s Climate Club  created some light sculptures around the theme of the environment with help from Sara from Wonder Made Wild. 

This project couldn’t have come at a better time, as the severity of climate change continues to make headlines. As a result of this, the students wanted to convey important messages around our impact on the planet and the effect on global warming.

Projects that will certainly get people talking

Their first piece, titled ‘Watch Your Waste’, saw the students use a week’s worth of the average household’s plastic waste (provided by SUEZ) to form a ‘plastic whirlwind’ to represent our ever-increasing plastic consumption.

Secondly, the students helped to paint two thought-provoking murals depicting the hidden plastic filling our oceans – a whale and a polar bear. 

Using invisible UV paint, the pupils created an iceberg of plastic bags, bottle and can rings, and filled the belly of the whale with a plastic lunch. They called these pieces ‘Plastic Soup’.

Students from Sunderland College finished the murals off beautifully, and at the exhibition, participants used UV torches to reveal the hidden floating litter.

Now that’s seriously impressive! What a creative way to get across such an important message at such a critical time.

Lastly, students helped to build an ethereal cloud, suspended in the Barnes Park Bandstand, that flashed to the sound of thunder. To create the cloud, they covered scrap packaging and bubble-wrap with stuffing from old pillows and cuddly toys. Finished off by Sunderland College and Sara, the cloud was one of SunderLight’s star attractions.

Chris Zarraga, Director of Schools North East, said: “Well done to all pupils who got involved in such a fantastic initiative. Creative opportunities beyond the classroom – and that will drive real change – is exactly what students in the North East both need and deserve.

“The project on its own is impressive, but to then hear about all the imaginative, artistic ideas that the pupils came up with… just wow!”

Our region’s pupils need more creative opportunities

SunderLight is one of two research and development projects commissioned by The Cultural Spring to develop a large-scale arts project that could be delivered in Sunderland. 

The other commission is We Are Sunderland, a music and dance event to celebrate Sunderland’s heritage, produced by award-winning folk and hip hop dance company.

Victoria Carter, Head Teacher at Washington Academy said: “ I would like to thank Laura Farrell-Pronesti, representing Gateshead, Sunderland and South Tyneside Council, and Hannah Fleming from SUEZ, for helping Washington Academy connect with Sara to create this amazing artwork. 

“Not only did it allow some of our young people to really get creative, it also provided them with a thought provoking opportunity to communicate their views and concerns about our environment.”

Sara from Wonder Made Wild said: “Working with Washington Academy’s Climate Club was a real pleasure! The pupils worked really hard to create some brilliant work, and I was really impressed by what they produced.

“It was also wonderful to see them really run with the theme and incorporate some really important messages about the environment. As an ecologist myself, it’s touching to see younger generations care so deeply about our planet.”

Great team effort, everyone. We look forward to seeing all the wonderful feedback your art is surely going to receive, and hearing about the ways in which it’s helped improve society and how we view climate change.

Washington Academy is a Schools North East Partner School. If you’d like to find out more about our Partner School membership, click here.

We love to hear good news from North East Schools, to share your news with Schools North East please tag @SchoolsNE on Twitter or fill in this short form.