Pride in our place - St. Patrick's Primary school
 

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In June 2024, I had the opportunity to work with St. Patrick's Primary School in Bircotes. My brief was to run a series of workshops and create an art map, using heritage maps from the 1850s as the main inspiration. I decided to enlarge one of the heritage maps that includes all the main areas and locations, dividing it into 95 sections. Each pupil would create artwork on a chosen map section, which we would later combine to form a collage that would become the map.
 

Over the course of 4 workshops, more than 90 pupils participated, each creating a unique artwork on their chosen piece of the map. As we painted and colored on the maps, we explored different ways of making marks and patterns. The young artists created bold lines and patterns, and I asked them questions to spark ideas:
 

• What do you see every day on your way to school?

• What's your favorite place in Harworth and Bircotes?

• Who lives in Harworth and Bircotes?
   

Through these questions, our young artists illustrated elements of life in Harworth and Bircotes—the park, neighbors, teachers, and more. This process allowed the pupils to share stories and build a connection to their place. One student even pointed out where their house is located on the map.
 

Below, you can see photos from the school workshops and the delightful artworks by pupils from St. Patrick's Primary School, displayed at Harworth and Bircotes Library in August 2024.

About the exhibition:

An exhibition celebrating Pride in our Place, Harworth and Bircotes. This exhibit features contemporary photography of the area, informed and inspired by heritage photos from Inspire’s collections, taken by adults from the community working with professional photographer Neil Pledger. Alongside these photos, you’ll see artwork based on heritage maps, created by children from the community working with visual artist Edwina Kung.
 

This project is part-funded by the UK government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, with additional support from Bassetlaw District Council, which is distributing £3.3 million to local businesses and communities as part of the UKSPF.