600 Pupils Get Creative for Sussex Kelp!

This year, more than 600 pupils across our family of schools embarked on an exciting creative journey with Artswork to bring the Sussex Kelp Recovery Project to life! 

Children from River Beach Primary, Summerlea Community Primary and Rustington Community Primary School teamed up to produce five fantastic animated and live-action films that tell the compelling story of Sussex's kelp. Their impressive work then was shown at a red-carpet premiere at Littlehampton’s Windmill Theatre. 

The project was a rich learning experience, giving pupils the chance to collaborate closely with the Sussex Wildlife Trust, Sussex Underwater, and film students from the University of Chichester. They explored the fascinating ecology of kelp and discovered the history behind the local campaign to protect it. The Year 5 and Year 6 pupils also explored a wide range of film and animation techniques, from creating intricate claymation and paper animations to using drawing, junk puppetry, acting, and even crafting their own sound effects. Local artists provided invaluable guidance, helping the children shape their creative visions.

The film created by the children at River Beach can be watched here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M8T-4Heyk_4 

The initiative was made possible through Artswork’s Young Cultural Changemakers Programme which connects young people with artists, providing both inspiration and funding to develop creative projects that make a difference in their communities.