Students make Berwick Shine
Five schools in Berwick upon Tweed worked with artist Martha Ellis and The Maltings (Berwick) Trust to create a shoal of willow salmon lanterns that lit up the town over winter.
Inspired by the medieval tradition of lanterns in the town detailed in historic documents in the archives as far back as 1604, and the tradition of salmon fishing on the River Tweed, the project combined history, heritage and creativity with opportunities for showcasing lanterns across the town to light up Berwick during the winter months.
Funding for the project was provided by Arts Council England, through the UK Government’s Cultural Development Fund.
Timeline
November 2024 – January 2025
Project Partners
Artists
Martha Ellis
Organisations
The Maltings (Berwick) Trust
Berwick Record Office
King’s Own Scottish Borderers Museum
English Heritage
Schools Involved
- Tweedmouth Prior Park First School
- Berwick Academy
- St Cuthbert’s RC First School
- Tweedmouth Community Middle School
- The Grove SEND School
Key Goals
- To increase pupils’ understanding of local heritage and history
- To allow pupils to explore technical 3D construction at scale
- To build on teamwork within the school setting
- To build stronger connections between schools, artists and community
- To showcase creative outputs across the town
The Inspiration
The project emerged from an artist call-out for The Living Barracks project, a multi-partner programme to restore and redevelop Berwick Barracks including a cultural development strand of artist-led residencies and commissions which is produced by The Maltings (Berwick) Trust. The proposal from Martha Ellis combined large scale sculptural techniques with visible and inspiring outcome.
The project took place across 5 different schools from Year 4 to Year 12 pupils. The artist adapted workshop methods to the level of ability some classes worked in teams to make one lantern, older pupils worked on individual pieces and pupils with additional needs focused on sensory elements to build collaborative lanterns.
Outcomes
Pupil Participation
98 pupils across 5 schools participated in workshops and created a total of 37 large salmon lanterns
Strengthening links in the community
The project strengthened existing links and created new links with schools and teachers and created new links with local businesses who hosted lanterns over the Christmas period complete with an interactive town trail
Building new traditions in Berwick
Lanterns were carried by school pupils in a community lantern procession to mark the switching on of the town’s Christmas lights. There are now plans for an annual lantern procession at Christmas and the lanterns are planned to be used for more community gala events
Impact
Find Out More
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