Children across Lowestoft have been getting creative as part of a special project.
With it being national recycle week last week, the FlipSide charity has been visiting schools across town and working with groups of youngsters as part of The Green Alphabet Project.
With children at Roman Hill Primary, Gunton Primary Academy, Poplars Primary, Pakefield Primary, St Mary's RC School and the Ashley School being encouraged to think about the environment and sustainability, the art and literacy project has been hailed as a 'brilliant' success.
Supported by Lowestoft Rising and the Lowestoft Cultural Education Partnership, The Green Alphabet Project has seen youngsters working in group sessions in class to produce a Green Alphabet poem and letters for the Green Alphabet.
From their efforts, the children's artwork and poems will be displayed in Lowestoft Library during the FlipSide Lowestoft Festival, which runs between October 24 and October 26.
Last Friday, 30 children from across years three and four at Gunton Primary Academy had the chance to work in groups of three to create an alphabet letter based on a green environmental theme, before writing some words of poetry about it.
Pupils at the school in Gainsborough Drive worked with Sue Brinkhurst, from the FlipSide charity, as part of the art and literacy project. After watching some YouTube videos, the children spoke about rainforests and the Amazon, before coming up with some green environmental themed words that could be used. Rainforests and recycling, litter and the lungs of the world were just some of the numerous ideas put forward and developed throughout the day.
Emily Applegate, from the Lower Key Stage Two team, said it had been 'great' for the children to be part of the festival.
'It definitely puts the school on the map,' Miss Applegate said.
'The children have really enjoyed doing it, they have been enthused by the different forms of art and its great for them to know that their work will be seen by others in Lowestoft, when it is displayed at the library.'
As part of the project, three of the schools – including Gunton Primary – visited Lowestoft Library on Wednesday and met Brazil's green poet – Leonardo Froés, who lives and works in the rainforest.
Project success
Organisers hailed the success of the Green Alphabet Project at Gunton Primary Academy.
Sue Brinkhurst, from the Flipside charity, said: 'We have talked about artists and poets, different types of art and have worked on their poems.
'We have been working with year four and year five pupils at a number of schools in the Lowestoft area. All the work produced by these schools will be on display in Lowestoft Library during half term as they each have a window at the library.
'At Gunton, this is the first group where we have worked with year three and year four pupils - they have done brilliantly. There has been some fantastic work produced. Their knowledge always surprises me and they have written some really nice things for their poems – we have had a great deal of fun.
As part of the project, all the children who take part will be able to achieve a Discover Arts Award certificate.
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