Over 400 children and young people from the Isle of Skye to the tip of Cornwall have been working with poets and visual artists as part of an education project linked to PEACE CAMP, director Deborah Warner’s commission for the London 2012 Festival. Facilitated by some of the UK’s most outstanding artist-educators, groups of students at each participating school have chosen a love-related theme around which they have written poems and made immersive art installations.

Skye-based ATLAS Arts has been facilitating the project in Portree where artist Caroline Dear and Padraig MacAoidh, Poet-in-residence at Sabhal mor Ostaig led students in poetry-writing and art-making workshops.

Secondary pupils at Portree High School have worked together to create an immersive installation in a special tent. Responding to theme of ‘place’ the students incorporated; peat covered poetry panels, love tokens made from trees native to Skye and ropes made from local grasses, rushes and moss and entwined with poetry tags.

The tent has been on display in Portree for a number of weeks and was part of the showcase of cultural organisations and activities at the High School on Monday 23 July when First Minister Alex Salmond and the Scottish Government held their Summer Cabinet in Skye.

Portree High school’s Tent will travel to the Southbank in London on 4th October 2012 where it will be displayed together with Tents from other participating schools along the riverside as part of National Poetry Day celebrations.

Emma Nicolson director of ATLAS Arts said “the work produced by the students is evocative and poetic so much so that Mike Russell was moved to photograph one of the poems and use it on his blipfoto entry of the day. We have been delighted to work closely with renowned creative producers Artichoke and Portree High School to enable this project and would particularly like to thank Kenny MacDonald, Deputy Head for his invaluable support and are especially thrilled that Skye students work will be represented in London when the tent is presented there in October.”

Miriam Nelken, Artichoke Associate Producer said: “We are delighted that the schools projects associated with PEACE CAMP around the country have been so successful. It is a testament to the talents of these young people that they have created such outstanding and original work, showing high levels of engagement, imagination and honesty. Artichoke would like to thank all of them, as well as the artists, poets, teachers and arts organisations who made this project possible”.

Deborah Warner’s PEACE CAMP took place at eight different coastal locations around the country from 19-22 July, including at Cliff Beach, Valtos (Bhaltos) on the Isle of Lewis, and Fort Fiddes at Cullykhan Bay in Aberdeenshire.

Source: ATLAS