Sea 4 Life

This innovative cross-curriculum project enhances awareness and understanding of the students' local coastal and marine environments. With the help of local artists, the heritage, beauty, biology and geology of the area are brought together with 'creative interpretation'. The Real Ideas Organisation (RIO), together with the Biosphere Reserve Team and Appledore Arts are working on this project.

2010

Appledore Arts is working with Georgeham, Instow and Woolacombe, three primary schools based along North Devon's stunning coastline and within walking distance of their local coastline are taking part ion Sea 4 Life 2010. Approximately 30 pupils (Year 5 & 6) from each school will be involved (a total total of between 90 to 100 pupils).

The project will start in mid-May with a visit from Jack Sewell from the Marine Biological Association who will reveal the wonders of the plankton and microscopic life that live in our coastal waters. After spending time with Jack, each school will spend two days with two experienced outdoor educators - Peter Jollands (Instow and Woolacombe schools) from the Hallsannery Centre in Bideford or Mark Ward (Georgeham) from the Field Studies Council, Nettlecombe Court on Exmoor.

During their time on the coast with Pete and Mark the pupils will also be joined by an artist who will work with them to record and generate ideas for the artwork that they then create.

• Tony Minnion a highly experienced visual artist will work with Mark Ward and the Georgeham pupils to create 2-D and 3-D artwork that will be digitised to create some amazing banners for the school.

• Karen Hawkins is a qualified teacher and also a highly experienced environmental artist who works mostly with primary schools. She will work with Pete Jollands and the Instow pupils, creating an artistic response to the coastline in the form of a 'Beach Profile'. As they create this 3-D structure they will also consider the past, present and future of their local coastal habitats.

• Clare Russell is a visual artist who has strong links with Woolacombe school and knows the local coastline very well. She will spend time with Woolacombe Schhol to run a series of school and after school workshops and help pupils to create a large rock pool mosaic which will be a permanent feature at the school and will act as a permanent reminder of their learning and their amazing coastline!

Each school will be keeping a photographic record of the projects - look out for them on this site.

Sea for Life 2009

Between April and July 2009, pupils and teachers from Abbottsham, Appledore and St Margarets (Northam) Primary Schools and Bideford College visited local beaches and worked closely together and with environmental educators, marine scientists and artists. Bideford College pupils investigated estuary, sandy beach and rocky shore environments (pupils from each primary schools visited only one of them) and acted as peer educators for the primary school pupils.

Teacher resources for key stage 2 Rocky Shores and Sand Dune fieldwork.

The Marine Biology Association from Plymouth, ran a series of marine science workshops using high-powered microscopes so that pupils could learn about the plankton- the life they couldn't see as well as the animals and plants they saw on their field trips. Artists were involved throughout the project encouraging the pupils to collect images and ideas. The last stage of the project gave each class time to work with an artist to create work in response to what they had learnt and experienced.

The project finale took place on June 13th 2009. Pupils shared their experiences and exhibited their art work.

Visit the blog-site and see artwork from Sea4Life at the National Marine Aquarium in Plymouth. The project will be shared internationally through the UNESCO schools network and throughout Devon and the UK.

The Government's Qualifications and Curriculum Authority have appointed an advisor to work with the schools, as they are particularly interested in the peer review and creative interpretation aspects.

The project has been funded by the Real Ideas Organisation with additional funding support from each school, the North Devon Biosphere Reserve and Appledore Arts.

For further information: 07900 212747 or info@appledorearts.