Rivers of the World Rivers of the World is a creative visual art and design project which links over 2,000 young people around the world. In 2008, students from London (UK), Shanghai (China), Kolkata (India), Cairo (Egypt), Cape Town (South Africa), Saõ Paulo & Recife (Brazil) and the State of Veracruz (Mexico) worked with artists to create these magnificent artworks inspired by their city’s river. All the artwork is displayed along London’s riverside walkway between the London Eye and City Hall in August and September. Smaller versions can be seen in the.gallery@oxo, and a permanent outdoor exhibition is displayed along Upper Ground on London’s South Bank.
For more information visit http://rivers.thamesfestival.org
Left photo by Paul Grendon. Right photo by British Council Chongqing.
Over the coming months the Rivers of the World display will be enjoyed by millions of people as it travels to riverside locations in each of the participating cities.
Photo ‘Rooks Heath High School‘ by Penny Rook.
Messages from supporters “For the third year running, HSBC Global Education Trust is proud to support the Rivers of the World exhibition at the Thames Festival. The vibrant artwork reveals the exciting results of dialogue between students in seven countries. As the exhibition travels to riverside locations in other participating cities, millions will have the chance to admire the creativity of young people from across the world.”
Simon Martin, Head of Group Corporate Sustainability, HSBC Holdings plc
“The Rivers of the World project enables young people to collaborate with their international counterparts, developing their understanding of the world so that they can go on to contribute positively, in life and work, to our global society. These striking artworks offer a very tangible demonstration of how different perspectives and an international dimension in education serve to enrich young people’s learning – and ultimately their futures. The British Council is delighted to be supporting this project.”
Martin Davidson CMG, Chief Executive, British Council
04 • Rivers of the World
Rivers of the World • 05
River Capibaribe, Recife, Brazil
Artists Diogo Todé and Ghustavo Távora led art and design workshops with pupils from three schools in Recife.
< Scenic view taken from the riverside of the Capibaribe at Capibar in the Cabocó district
06 • Rivers of the World • River Capibaribe
Photo by Kate Forde.
River Capibaribe • Rivers of the World • 07
“This project has allowed everyone to get together and think about the importance of the Capibaribe River.” Helena Saunders, Colegio Boa Viagem
Dancing pupils from Escola Maciel Pinheiro >
Photo by Adrian Evans.
08 • Rivers of the World • River Capibaribe
River Capibaribe • Rivers of the World • 09
1. C olegio Boa Viagem The theme ‘River of Life’ was approached by looking at human interaction with the river. Four mannequins were decorated to represent different human traits and these were fixed to a bridge along the Capibaribe river. The mannequins were positioned as though they were fishing the word ‘Vida’, which means ‘Life’, out of the river.
2. Colegio Damas Studying the theme ‘Resourceful River’, the pupils looked at the duality of natural resources and the way the river can both destroy and create life. In this case, visual poetry was used and the artwork represented a dreamlike fantasy view, with human heads being fished out of the river making the viewer stop and think about their relationship to the river.
3. Escola Maciel Pinheiro Working with the theme ‘River Culture’, the artwork is based on performance and happening, inspired by the Recife’s famous Carnival. All the students dressed in fantasy costumes forming a carnival group out of season, drawing attention to the river’s problems.
1
10 • Rivers of the World • River Capibaribe
2
3
River Capibaribe • Rivers of the World • 11
River Tietê, Saõ Paulo, Brazil
Artists Paulo Portella Filho, Keila Alaver and Roberta Fortunato led art and design workshops with pupils from three schools in Saõ Paulo.
< Installation on the banks of the Tietê, by artist Eduardo Srur
12 • Rivers of the World • River Tietê
Photo by Roberta Fortunato and Keila Alaver.
River Tietê • Rivers of the World • 13
“It was great being part of this project. With it we could learn more about the Tietê River, and work together in a group. We were all very much involved; we acquired and developed new skills. The project Rivers of the World provided us with culture and knowledge. The result was great and the experience, so gratifying.” Julia Wass, Escola Carlitos
Escola da Comunidade on a research
trip to the river Tietê >
Photo by Roberta Fortunato and Keila Alaver.
14 • Rivers of the World • River Tietê
RiverTietê Thames • Rivers theWorld World•• 15 15 River • Rivers of of the
1. E scola Carandá The theme ‘Polluted River’ was studied for three months. It was explored artistically by the pupils through drawing, painting and sculpture. The best details from individual works developed during the process were selected by each pupil and two large compositions were created from them. The pupils then voted for which one to work on using Photoshop.
2. Escola Carlitos The pupils explored the theme ‘Working River’ using drawings, paintings and building threedimensional works. The relationship between the Tietê river and work was studied for three weeks with discussions, a trip on the river and weekly art classes. A selection of the best work was then made and a final artwork panel was created, supervised by the project web designer.
3. Escola da Comunidade The theme ‘River City’ aroused huge enthusiasm and intense artistic investigation. The students explored painting, drawing and collage over three months, and to understand the theme better they took part in a trip on the river. They created a panel together containing chosen details selected from their artworks and were then guided towards the creation of the final digital artwork.
1
16 • Rivers of the World • River Tietê
2
3
River Tietê • Rivers of the World • 17
River Huangpu / Suzhou Creek, Shanghai, China
Artists Robert Davis and Peng Zhenyu led art and design workshops with pupils from six schools in Shanghai.
< Suzhou Creek meeting the Huangpu River through central Shanghai
18 • Rivers of the World • River Huangpu / Suzhou Creek
Photo by Kate Forde.
River Huangpu / Suzhou Creek • Rivers of the World • 19
“This was the first time for us to communicate with foreigners in artistic languages. I felt excited and interested when I could use my drawing and clay works to exchange ideas with British friends, and to express my understanding and love towards my nation and hometown.” Chen Yuming, Cosco Experimental School
Students making observational
drawings on a trip to the Huangpu river >
Photo by Mr. Gao Qunbing, Lantian Middle School.
06 • Rivers World • River Thames 20 Riversofofthe the World • River Huangpu / Suzhou Creek
River Thames • Rivers theWorld World•• 21 21 River Huangpu / Suzhou Creek • Rivers of of the
1. C hangzheng Secondary School Researching ‘Polluted River’, students developed an understanding of the efforts of man and nature to keep the water of the Suzhou River clean. They visited the water treatment centre and investigated the names of various water plants, animals and organisms used naturally to clean the water. Based on this research they created an installation with drawings, laboratory bottles and other natural elements.
2. Cosco Experimental School Using ‘River Culture’ as a theme, students based their work on the sacred spaces of the river. They looked at poetry written about the river and the many creatures that occupy it, and how their study could be combined to heighten people’s understandings of the river. Based on their findings the students created their own ‘River Guardians’. They drew pictures of these, wrote stories about them and modelled them in clay.
3. Ganquan Foreign Languages Middle School
1
22 • Rivers of the World • River Huangpu / Suzhou Creek
2
3
Investigating ‘Resourceful River’, students devised maps based on the concept of Shanghai as a water city. Instead of building dams and walls to hold back the river, what would Shanghai be like if it embraced the flooding river? The students looked at old and new maps of Shanghai and, in three teams, brainstormed and designed an imaginary city of the future. River Huangpu / Suzhou Creek • Rivers of the World • 23
4. Lantian Middle School Using the theme ‘Working River’, students studied the various vocations and related machinery used on and around the river. They were taught how to manipulate coloured wire and made figures poised in various river occupations. The students made coloured board backgrounds against which to photograph their figures, and these images were then combined and arranged as a group work.
5. Secondary School attached to Tongji University Investigating the ‘River of Life’ as their theme, students researched the kinds of fish living in the Suzhou River. Students practised a fishprinting technique created by fishermen in ancient times to record the size of their catch and to document the locations in which they were found. Using this technique, students documented aquatic species found in the river today.
6. Tongbai Senior High School
4
24 • Rivers of the World • River Huangpu / Suzhou Creek
5
6
Working with the theme ‘River City’, students investigated different methods of merging nature and architecture. They used architectural drawings, maps and natural elements to create their pictures which were coloured and generated into collages. Their ‘living landscapes’ were arranged along with scanned images of themselves.
River Huangpu / Suzhou Creek • Rivers of the World • 25
River Nile, Cairo, Egypt
Artists Philip Arneill and Kate El Rigby led art and design workshops with pupils from six schools in Cairo.
< Pleasure boats on the Nile
26 • Rivers of the World • River Nile
Photo by Adrian Evans.
River Nile • Rivers of the World • 27
“We learned how to be more confident and helpful to each other and how to conceive our ideas. We got a lot of support from our teachers and of course from Mr. Philip. I hope I can join this magnificent project again next year.” Doaa Aly, El Malek Fahd Experimental School
Students from El Malek Fahd
Experimental School on the banks of the Nile, in front of the artwork they produced in 2007 >
Photo by Adrian Evans.
06 • Rivers • River Thames 28 Riversofofthe theWorld World • River Nile
River NIle Thames • Rivers theWorld World•• 29 29 River • Rivers of of the
1. British International School Thinking about the theme ‘River Culture’, the children made sculptures from clay, sand and other materials. Their work all came together to form the final composition.
2. El Malek Fahd Experimental School Exploring the theme ‘Working River’, the students painted on black tissue paper with household bleach. They chose to focus mainly on the ancient history of the Nile.
3. El Salam Experimental School Having taken photographs in Cairo, their own ‘River City’, students then manipulated A4 monochrome and colour prints of their photographs using acrylic and poster paints.
1
30 • Rivers of the World • River Nile
2
3
River NIle • Rivers of the World • 31
4. Futures Experimental School Under the theme ‘Resourceful River’, students first coloured small pieces of wood and foam with paint, then they collectively created a mosaic showing a Nile River scene.
5. Hassan Abu Bakr Experimental School Working on the theme ‘River of Life’, students drew and decorated Nile River animals in coloured pens and pencils, and arranged them into a final collage.
6. Mostafa Kamel Experimental Language School For the theme ‘Polluted River’, students created a collaged relief map of the Nile using discarded, potentially recyclable materials which they had collected. The water of the river was formed by writing the Arabic word for ‘pollution’ repeatedly.
4
32 • Rivers of the World • River Nile
5
6
River NIle • Rivers of the World • 33
River Hooghly, Kolkata, India
Artists Pulak Ghosh and Tandra Chanda led art and design workshops with pupils from four schools in Kolkata.
< Bathing in the river Hooghly Photo by Adrian Evans.
34 • Rivers of the World • River Hooghly
River Hooghly • Rivers of the World • 35
“I was very lucky to be selected to be part of the Rivers of the World group. This project was really interesting and creative. Through it, I got a chance to show my creativity and it was also a chance to interact with pupils from other schools. It was a life-long experience which I will always cherish.” Qutubkhan Hamid, MSB School
Students from Shri Shikshayatan School
holding up their drawings >
Photo by Tandra Chanda and Pulak Ghosh.
36 • Rivers of the World • River Hooghly
River Thames • Rivers theWorld World•• 37 37 River Hooghly • Rivers of of the
1. La Martiniere School for Boys
2. MSB School
Using the theme ‘River of Life’, the pupils were taught how to make clay models based on the environment of their river. This was the first time that the students had been involved in Terracotta workshops and they had a wonderful time using their imagination to make their threedimensional work.
Working with the theme ‘River City’, the artists briefed the students on their subject matter and its relationship to the River Hooghly. The students were very excited about the project and started to put down their thoughts on the paper in the form of drawings. They then transformed these drawings into mixed media using watercolours, pastels and etching and these were all combined to form their final design.
1 38 • Rivers of the World • River Hooghly
2 River Hooghly • Rivers of the World • 39
3. S hri Shikshayatan School
4. St. Thomas’ Girls’ School
Researching the theme ‘River Culture’, the artists showed the students various pictures of stained glass windows in India and abroad for inspiration. They asked the pupils to interpret the theme through drawing. These drawings were worked into stained glassstyle paintings and were then laid out together to form the final artwork.
Using ‘Polluted River’ as a starting point for their workshops, the girls were asked to sketch initial ideas on their theme. They were then shown how to make collages using magazines and newspapers. This was a new learning experience for the students which they enjoyed greatly. They worked with the artists to incorporate their final collages into the finished design.
3 40 • Rivers of the World • River Hooghly
4 River Hooghly • Rivers of the World • 41
River Papaloapan, State of Veracruz, Mexico
Artists Candy Aguirre, Juan Carlos Chavez, Nora Hiriart, Isabel Jimenez, Edgar Lopez, Leon Rafael and Pablo Rulfo led art and design workshops with pupils from six schools in the State of Veracruz.
< Scenic view of boats along the Papaloapan river
42 • Rivers of the World • River Papaloapan
Photo by Adrian Evans.
River Papaloapan • Rivers of the World • 43
“Our school is very proud to have taken part in ‘Rivers of the World’. It was a fantastic experience to work as a team developing our research on the Papaloapan.” Valentin and Angel, Francisco Javier Clavijero Secondary School, Tilapa
Students and teachers from Francisco
Javier Clavijero Secondary School >
Photo by Adrian Evans.
06 • Rivers • River Thames 44 Riversofofthe theWorld World • River Papaloapan
River Thames • Rivers World••45 21 River Papaloapan • Rivers of of thethe World
1. Francisco Javier Clavijero Secondary School, Tilapa The pupils researched the theme ‘Polluted River’ and made a series of drawings illustrating contamination in and around the river. Through the process the students realised that working as a team was a very important aspect of the project and that their individual drawings must work together to produce a high quality final artwork.
2. Héroes de Sotavento Secondary School, Tlacotalpan Investigating the theme ‘River of Life’, the students made observational drawings from nature, looking at the textures of leaves, flowers, animals and houses by the Papaloapan River.
3. Secundaria Enrique C. Rebsamen, Nopaltepec Working with the theme ‘River Culture’, the students were encouraged to create paintings representing different cultural characteristics of the region such as music, arts and crafts, textiles, clothes, dance, traditional parties, exhibitions and food. They first painted on paper and then onto fans made of palm tree leaves woven by artisans from the region. The fans were laid out in the shape of their river for the final design.
1
46 • Rivers of the World • River Papaloapan
2
3
River Papaloapan • Rivers of the World • 47
4. Secundaria Tecnica Industrial No. 5, Cosamaloapan Researching ‘Working River’, the students went to the river and looked at aspects such as transport, architecture, animals and landscape. They organized a day in school where they invited their parents and together they created a “river of thoughts”, representing the working life of their families.
5. Secundaria Tecnica Pesquera No. 20, Alvarado Through the theme ‘Resourceful River’, the pupils were guided to make a series of drawings and photographs. These works all formed part of the final artwork together with fishing nets they had collected.
6. Secundaria Tecnica Industrial No. 36, Carlos A. Carrillo Working with the theme ‘River City’, the class was divided into teams, some were responsible for drawing ‘mojarra’ (a delicious fish from the river), while others painted an imaginary ‘little city’. They drew parks, churches, the sugar industry and transport, as well as traditions such as dancing, the Day of the Dead and festivals. These drawings were all arranged together to make the final design.
4
48 • Rivers of the World • River Papaloapan
5
6
River Papaloapan • Rivers of the World • 49
River Liesbeek, Cape Town, South Africa
Artists Craig Cupido, Ayesha Price, Heath Nash and Fai-qah Abrahams led art and design workshops with pupils from six schools in Cape Town.
< Liesbeek River taken from the observatory, looking towards Devil’s Peak
50 • Rivers of the World • River Liesbeek
Photo by Paul Grendon.
River Liesbeek • Rivers of the World • 51
“Being part of this arts project has taught us to become aware of the Liesbeek River. We now pay more attention to its surroundings and the significant role it has played in the history of our country. The experience has been very interesting, enriching and most of all enjoyable.” Laura-Ashley Moses, Rhodes High School
Students visiting the Cape Town ‘Rivers
of the World’ exhibition in 2007 >
Photo by Paul Grendon.
06 •• Rivers World • River Thames 52 Riversofofthe the World • River Liesbeek
River Thames • Rivers theWorld World•• 53 45 River Liesbeek • Rivers of of the
1. Bokmakierie School Looking at the theme ‘Working River’, the learners embarked on a tour of the river to decide what ‘working’ meant to them. Once they had decided what element of the river they wanted to focus on they started developing ideas. They created stencils and used spraypaint and acrylic to make their final composition which shows how the ‘flow’ of the river works the mill.
2. Garlandale High School Studying the theme ‘River of Life’, the pupils were taken on a trip to the river. They gathered information and images and made stencils from these. The pupils decided to concentrate on the division of culture and segregation along the river. They made images of the resettlement of the natives, the claiming of land and different farming uses for inclusion in the final artwork.
3. Heideveld High School
1
54 • Rivers of the World • River Liesbeek
2
3
Researching ‘River Culture’, the learners visited art exhibitions at the Iziko South African National Gallery to look at the way artists use imagery and styles to create visual representations of their stories. They then combined all their knowledge, ideas and research to create a collaborative artwork which represented the various cultures and social practices of those who once lived alongside the Liesbeek River, and that also reflects the modern cultural contexts in which the participants live.
River Liesbeek • Rivers of the World • 55
4. Rhodes High School Researching the theme ‘River City’, the pupils were taken on a trip to the Liesbeek River. They studied the history of the river looking at the way the riverbank has changed over time. They made preliminary drawings using ink and crayons. These drawings were developed into the final piece of work.
5. Siyabulela School Working with the theme ‘Polluted River’, the learners used recycled and waste materials collected on their river walk to create their first impression of the Liesbeek River. They spent most of the day searching for fish, only to discover that they were very scarce, due to the pollution. The fish were also translucent, making them nearly invisible. Each learner created a little fish, with its own history and possible future directly linked to issues of conservation and pollution.
6. St. George’s Grammar School
4
56 • Rivers of the World • River Liesbeek
5
6
Using ‘Resourceful River’ as their theme, the pupils studied the importance of water as a resource and about the history of the cultures that have successively controlled the cape. They drew symbols to represent a variety of historical subjects relating to the river, such as the British and Dutch invasions, forced removals, wealth and industry. They looked at which symbols worked best and then layered them over the physical geographical landscape of Cape Town, exploring stories relating to the effects of power and control that the river has to tell. River Liesbeek • Rivers of the World • 57
River Thames, London, UK
Artists Shona Watt, Pete Gomes, Alex Buxton and Nina Ayres led art and design workshops with pupils from thirty-four schools in London.
< ‘Thames Mirror’, view of Hungerford Bridge, the London Eye and the Houses of Parliament
58 • Rivers of the World • River Thames
Photo by Mat & Tat.
River Thames • Rivers of the World • 59
“Thank you for giving me this opportunity, it has been extremely enjoyable and I cannot wait to see my artwork on the South Bank!” Sophie, St. Marylebone CE School
Students from Coloma Convent Girls’
School holding up their drawings >
Photo by Alex Buxton.
60 • Rivers of the World • River Thames
Thames • Rivers theWorld World • 53 RiverRiver Thames • Rivers ofofthe 61
1. Acland Burghley School, Camden Researching ‘Resourceful River’, the pupils explored the theme of flooding and its consequences on the emergency services. They looked at the artist Banksy’s work and used stencils and spray-paint to create their imagery.
2. Brampton Manor School, Newham Working with the theme ‘Polluted River’, the pupils investigated what could happen to flora and fauna as a result of pollution. They made drawings of mutated fantastical creatures which were laid out on a bacteria background.
3. Capital City Academy, Brent Working with the theme ‘River Culture’ and looking at the artist Chuck Close, the pupils used felt-tip pens to each create a section of a portrait of the historical sailor Joseph Johnson wearing a selfmade ‘ship’ upon his head. Each pupil’s work was then scanned and pieced together using Photoshop.
1
62 • Rivers of the World • River Thames
2
3
River Thames • Rivers of the World • 63
4. Cardinal Vaughan Memorial School, Kensington & Chelsea Through the theme ‘Resourceful River’, the pupils looked at seahorses breeding in the Thames. Using the Thames Festival’s Night Carnival as inspiration, the students worked in pairs to create large seahorses, using lantern-making techniques with willow and coloured tissue. Their finished designs were arranged on the final board.
5. Catford High School, Lewisham Exploring the theme ‘River Culture’ through fireworks on the Thames, the pupils initially make exploratory drawings with pastels on black paper. They then made spin paintings with cardboard and paint using an electric drill. These were treated in Photoshop and then contextualized by including drawings of buildings along the river.
6. Coloma Convent Girls’ School, Croydon Investigating the theme ‘River City’, the pupils looked into the emergence of money, the financial district of London and Cockney rhyming slang. They based their work on that of London artist Tom Phillips, and created prints and images over existing financial publications.
4
64 • Rivers of the World • River Thames
5
6
River Thames • Rivers of the World • 65
7. Gumley House School, Hounslow Researching the theme ‘River City’, the pupils investigated jobs, past and present, which are associated with the River Thames and London in general. Using the artist George Condo as inspiration, the pupils were encouraged to explore drawing techniques in a variety of styles and media. The work was then scanned and composed into a collage using Photoshop.
8. Hackney Free and Parochial School, Hackney Researching ‘Working River’, the pupils watched a film from the 1950s about imports from Cape Town. They did drawings, markmaking and experimented with ink. They also made preliminary drawings of maps of the Thames and this was continued to the final design.
9. Harlington Community School, Hillingdon Researching the theme ‘River City’, the pupils looked at the Grand Union Canal which runs next to the school. They found images of barges and working boats and made drawings from them which were traced onto lino. The lino was cut and they each made prints in black ink. These were scanned into the computer and various colour ways were explored.
7
66 • Rivers of the World • River Thames
8
9
River Thames • Rivers of the World • 67
10. H averstock School, Camden Studying ‘River City’ as their theme, the pupils researched historical and modern modes of transport used in London. They were shown the work of Louise Nevelson for inspiration. They created a series of reliefs, representing the various means of transport, using found objects. These reliefs were spayed white and photographed before being arranged on the final board.
11. Kidbrooke School, Greenwich Working with the theme ‘Polluted River’, the students looked at the work of Mark Dion who collects and exhibits rubbish from the river as part of his work. Students used a variety of techniques including drawing, marbling and printing to create a montage of the types of litter that have all been removed from the river in an aim to clean it over the past fifty years.
12. K ingsford Community School, Newham Investigating the theme ‘River of Life’, the pupils focused on bird life along the length of the Thames. Students researched and drew from secondary sources using styles from the arts and crafts movement and the stylized approach of William Morris as inspiration. Their designs were transferred onto canvas and embroidered using various stitches, including a technique called feather stitch.
10
68 • Rivers of the World • River Thames
11
12
River Thames • Rivers of the World • 69
13. L a Sainte Union Catholic School, Camden Working with the theme ‘River of Life’, students looked at the plant life of the Thames. They took plant samples from the school pond and made initial pencil drawings. They then transferred their drawings to drypoint etching card and made a print. These were scanned and laid out on a watery background.
14. Lambeth Academy, Lambeth Investigating ‘Polluted River’, the students looked at images of polluted rivers in the seven participating countries. They selected resource material and made initial pencil drawings which were traced in pen on a light box, then each student colourized their drawing on Photoshop. They designed various lay-outs and finally agreed on the concentric circle background.
15. T he London Nautical School, Lambeth The pupils explored ‘River Culture’ in all its diversity. They made drawings of popular culture, buildings, religious ceremonies and landmarks. They embossed their image onto metal foil to look like a medal. These were then laid out with their names on a stripy background.
13
70 • Rivers of the World • River Thames
14
15
River Thames • Rivers of the World • 71
17. Nower Hill High School, Harrow
16. Norbury Manor Business & Enterprise College for Girls, Croydon
Researching ‘River of Life’, the pupils looked at microscopic images of butterflies. They produced pencil drawings which they then developed into intricate pen work. These were colourized by each pupil on a computer and laid out to form the final design.
Researching ‘Working River’, the girls looked at the Roman occupation of London. They then designed coins based on historic events and contemporary culture relating to the Thames. Using embossing foil they transferred their designs by pressing into the metal to create a relief. A mosaic background was chosen and the coins were arranged on top.
16
72 • Rivers of the World • River Thames
17
River Thames • Rivers of the World • 73
18. Ricards Lodge High School, Merton Working with the theme ‘River City’, the girls researched the future landscape and development of London around the Thames. They imagined futuristic buildings and made drawings of them. They transferred their drawings onto drypoint etching card, these were filled in with ink and then laid out on the computer.
19. Robert Clack School, Barking & Dagenham Using the theme ‘Working River’, the students looked at various transport and trade routes relating to the Thames and the Tietê. They found imagery of ships and made stencils which were filled with glitter. These were laid out on a background based on navigational routes using the stars.
20. Rooks Heath College for Business & Enterprise, Harrow Using ‘Working River’ as a theme, the pupils looked into the history of the spice islands and the link to the river Thames through 19th century shipping companies. A log book from the East India Dock company, along with the artwork of Kurt Schwitters, was studied in order to create a board full of text and graphics composed using pencil and powdered spices.
18
74 • Rivers of the World • River Thames
19
20
River Thames • Rivers of the World • 75
21. Sion Manning RC School, Kensington & Chelsea Researching ‘Polluted River’, the students looked at a film clip from a local news item showing the huge number of plastic bottles in the Thames and what a threat it is to the environment. They were all given a plastic bottle to draw and made multiple three-dimensional images. Each pupil coloured their drawing on Photoshop and laid them out to produce the final design.
22. Sir John Cass Foundation & Red Coat CE School, Tower Hamlets Through the theme ‘River City’, pupils researched famous buildings along the Thames and made linocuts of them. These were scanned in and arranged to create the final composition.
23.The Skinners’ Company’s School for Girls, Hackney Researching ‘Resourceful River’, the girls studied the Chelsea Physic Garden and the history of plants in medicine. They were shown images of the Italian artist Acrimboldo’s work and drew plants and flowers from life; these were then transferred onto the computer to fit within a silhouette of one of the students.
21 76 • Rivers of the World • River Thames
22
23
River Thames • Rivers of the World • 77
25. St. Joseph’s College, Croydon
24. St. Anne’s Catholic High School for Girls, Enfield
Studying the theme ‘Polluted River’, the students looked at various forms of environmental damage. They made drawings which were transferred onto lino and printed. They then collectively designed the final layout and chose the colour scheme together.
Researching ‘River Culture’, the girls looked at the story behind the first pearly king. The story allegedly was that a boat full of pearl buttons from Japan sank in the Thames and locals from the East End collected the buttons and sewed them onto their suits. The pupils created their own pearly patterns using paper dots. These were laid onto a background of a coat to look like a pearly costume.
24 78 • Rivers of the World • River Thames
25
River Thames • Rivers of the World • 79
26. S t. Marylebone CE School, Westminster The students looked at the Fibonacci series of numbers in nature through their theme ‘River of Life’. They chose fossils of shells and plant life, these were then drawn on Chinese calligraphic paper in repetitive patterns within the grid. They were colourized in Photoshop and then laid out.
27. St. Paul’s Way Community School and Arts College, Tower Hamlets Using ‘Resourceful River’ as a theme, the pupils looked at Cleopatra’s Needle. They visited the Egyptian Gallery at the British Museum and made drawings of hieroglyphics and reliefs. These drawings were then developed into birds and animals which live by the Thames. The students made their own three-dimensional hieroglyphic using coloured embossing metal.
28. S t. Saviour’s and St. Olave’s CE School, Southwark Working with the theme ‘River of Life’, the pupils looked at seahorses which are now beginning to breed in the Thames. They made initial pencil drawings which were then copied to watercolour paper and coloured with inks and threedimensional glitter pens.
26
80 • Rivers of the World • River Thames
27
28
River Thames • Rivers of the World • 81
29. S tockwell Park High School, Lambeth Working with the theme ‘River Culture’, the students looked at Living Statues, the painted performers based on historical figures and landmarks who can be found posing along the South Bank. They each drew a figure which was coloured in Photoshop and arranged in perspective.
30. The Charter School, Southwark Looking at the theme ‘Working River’, the students investigated the history of textile techniques such as knitting, sewing, weaving and netmaking. They researched various boats that work, or have worked, on the Thames. Using appliqué, twenty different images were created, photographed and arranged using Photoshop.
31. Ursuline High School, Merton
29
82 • Rivers of the World • River Thames
30
31
Investigating the theme ‘Resourceful River’, the pupils looked at the lives of people living and working around London’s dockyards in the 18th and 19th century, and in particular the lives of several women who dressed as men in order to become sailors. Using the etchings of William Hogarth as inspiration, they experimented with mark-making to create their own ‘male disguises’. These were worn by the individual pupils who were then photographed in front of a historical Thames backdrop.
River Thames • Rivers of the World • 83
32. W estminster City School, Westminster Exploring the theme ‘River Culture’, the pupils studied the history of the Globe Theatre. Looking at shadow puppetry and the artwork of Kara Walker and David Gentleman, they drew each other ‘working’ on the construction of the theatre, carrying pieces of wood across the frozen Thames. These drawings were then transferred onto black card and cut out using scalpels. The work was scanned into the computer and composed using Photoshop.
33. William Ellis School, Camden Researching ‘River of Life / Death’, the pupils were taken on a trip to the South Bank to find inspiration for their theme. They found images of skulls and graffiti and made stencils and detailed drawings which were colourized on the computer. These images were then all laid out to make the final composition.
34. W oolwich Polytechnic School, Greenwich Using the theme ‘Polluted River’, the pupils learnt about the invasion of the Asian mitten crabs and their effect on the Thames. Taking the work of artists William Ware and Peter Doig as inspiration, the pupils explored a number of drawing techniques. Their drawings were then used as a base for collagraph prints which were in turn coloured using a variety of media including coloured pencils and pastels.
32
84 • Rivers of the World • River Thames
33
34
River Thames • Rivers of the World • 85
Rivers of the World Schools
Thanks to:
River Capibaribe, Recife, Brazil
River Liesbeek, Cape Town, South Africa
Colegio Boa Viagem Colegio Damas Escola Maciel Pinheiro
Bokmakierie School Garlandale High School Heideveld High School Rhodes High School Siyabulela School St. George’s Grammar School
River Tietê, Saõ Paulo, Brazil Escola Carandá Escola Carlitos Escola da Comunidade River Huangpu / Suzhou Creek, Shanghai, China Changzheng Secondary School Cosco Experimental School Ganquan Foreign Languages Middle School Lantian Middle School Secondary School attached to Tongji University Tongbai Senior High School River Nile, Cairo, Egypt British International School El Malek Fahd Experimental School El Salam Experimental School Futures Experimental School Hassan Abu Bakr Experimental School Mostafa Kamel Experimental Language School River Hooghly, Kolkata, India La Martiniere School for Boys MSB School Shri Shikshayatan School St. Thomas’ Girls’ School River Papaloapan, State of Veracruz, Mexico Francisco Javier Clavijero Secondary School Héroes de Sotavento Secondary School Secundaria Enrique C. Rebsamen Secundaria Tecnica Industrial No. 5 Secundaria Tecnica Industrial Pasquera No. 20 Secundaria Tecnica Industrial No. 36
River Thames, London, UK Acland Burghley School Brampton Manor School Capital City Academy Cardinal Vaughan Memorial School Catford High School Coloma Convent Girls’ School Gumley House School Hackney Free and Parochial School Harlington Community School Haverstock School Kidbrooke School Kingsford Community School La Sainte Union Catholic School Lambeth Academy Norbury Manor Business & Enterprise College Nower Hill High School Ricards Lodge High School Robert Clack School Rooks Heath College for Business & Enterprise Sion Manning RC School Sir John Cass Foundation & Red Coat CE School St. Anne’s Catholic High School St. Joseph’s College St. Marylebone CE School St. Paul’s Way Community School and Arts College St. Saviour’s and St Olave’s CE School Stockwell Park High School The Charter School The London Nautical School The Skinners’ Company’s School for Girls Ursuline High School Westminster City School William Ellis School Woolwich Polytechnic School
Simon Martin Paul Sinclair Olga Stanojlovic Jean September Harriet Du Plessis Marina Gandhi Mrigank Mukherjee Alison Beale Patty Yu Geoff Smith Hala Hamad Stephen Rimmer Malu Penna Roberta Kacowicz Iane Melo Beatriz Brenner Nuria Villanueva Angelica Careaga Ralph Genang Thanks to all the teachers and pupils involved for their support and enthusiasm for the project