Whole school art project viewed by MP and mayor

Every single child at West Park Primary was involved in creating five new murals for the school.
Worthing West MP Peter Bottomley and Worthing mayor Sean McDonald with pupils by Shimmering Sea, one of the five muralsWorthing West MP Peter Bottomley and Worthing mayor Sean McDonald with pupils by Shimmering Sea, one of the five murals
Worthing West MP Peter Bottomley and Worthing mayor Sean McDonald with pupils by Shimmering Sea, one of the five murals

That means 766 children, aged four to 11, can feel rightly proud of their marvellous creations, now on display around the school, in Marlborough Road, Worthing.

The murals are linked with the common theme of the beach, as it is developing into a Beach School, and elements of the designs have been picked out in 18 stained-glass windows for the dining hall.

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Worthing West MP Peter Bottomley and Worthing mayor Sean McDonald visited the school today to see the results of the Art at the Park project.

With the seagull mural, from left, deputy head Malcolm Howie, head teacher Caitriona Bull, Creative Waves director Vanessa Breen, Worthing West MP Peter Bottomley, Creative Waves director Nadia Chalk and Worthing mayor Sean McDonaldWith the seagull mural, from left, deputy head Malcolm Howie, head teacher Caitriona Bull, Creative Waves director Vanessa Breen, Worthing West MP Peter Bottomley, Creative Waves director Nadia Chalk and Worthing mayor Sean McDonald
With the seagull mural, from left, deputy head Malcolm Howie, head teacher Caitriona Bull, Creative Waves director Vanessa Breen, Worthing West MP Peter Bottomley, Creative Waves director Nadia Chalk and Worthing mayor Sean McDonald

Malcolm Howie, deputy head, said: “West Park Primary School is a very successful four form entry primary school which is developing into a Beach School, which means we base an increasing amount of the curriculum around the nearby resource of Worthing beach.

“As part of this development, the school, thanks to the fundraising successes of the Friends of West Park, commissioned Creative Wave, a local community-based arts company, to work with all 766 of the children at the school over a three-week period.

“The children produced large scale works of art to transform the corridors and dining hall of this large primary school.”

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Each of the murals - Rainbow Beach, Seagull, Magical Meadows, Shimmering Sea and Fantastic Fossils - measures 2.5metres by 1.3metres.

With the seagull mural, from left, deputy head Malcolm Howie, head teacher Caitriona Bull, Creative Waves director Vanessa Breen, Worthing West MP Peter Bottomley, Creative Waves director Nadia Chalk and Worthing mayor Sean McDonaldWith the seagull mural, from left, deputy head Malcolm Howie, head teacher Caitriona Bull, Creative Waves director Vanessa Breen, Worthing West MP Peter Bottomley, Creative Waves director Nadia Chalk and Worthing mayor Sean McDonald
With the seagull mural, from left, deputy head Malcolm Howie, head teacher Caitriona Bull, Creative Waves director Vanessa Breen, Worthing West MP Peter Bottomley, Creative Waves director Nadia Chalk and Worthing mayor Sean McDonald

The children have also created five three-dimensional underwater worlds, which will be photographed ready to be installed on Worthing Pier this summer for a year-long exhibition.

Grace Prinn, from year six, said: “I think the art that we did was inspirational. It looks amazing and it was so much fun to do.”

Niamh Owen, from year five, said: “I made a little yellow trout and it was used on the Shimmering Sea display. When parents evening came, I rushed to show them right the minute they stepped through the door.”

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Hannah Riffer, from year five, said: “It was a wonderful experience to join in with such an amazing art project. I really enjoyed going to make my turtle out of papier-mache.”

Emily Hadfield, from year five, said: “When Creative Waves came I had lots of fun making our massive seagull out of papier-mache. I would like them to come again because they make friendships happen.”

Bea Buchanan, from year five, said: “They told us that we could be as creative as we want and they also said that mistakes are okay and that sometimes they can make pictures better. I made a crab and a sandcastle. It was really great fun.”

The children came up with lots of their own ideas, which were incorporated into the artwork.

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Nadia Chalk from Creative Waves said: “There were lots of ideas that we hadn’t even thought of that we were very excited about. The children always had complete autonomy over the materials we used.”

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