The Sea and Islands’ literacy and ceramics project at Christ Church CE primary school in Lancaster

The theme for this year’s project was “The Sea and Islands” with a class of Y6 11 year olds, at Christ Church CE Primary, Lancaster, and was held in June/July of the summer term, 2019

The aim was to extend the cultural knowledge of the students, and develop their imaginative ideas in writing and then re-create these ideas using clay as a media.

It was introduced by Dominic Kelly, an international professional storyteller who spent two full days working with the pupils introducing six sea legends from around the world and dramatically telling them to the class. All the students were enthralled.

The pupils worked together to retell the stories and also presented them to other children in the school. Dominic taught the children techniques about memorising and telling stories vividly and effectively. In class the teacher worked to help the children record their stories.

Emily, ceramicist from “Ragtag Arts “ a community arts organisation based in Kendal, then worked with the class and the children were tought various clay techniques like rolling and coiling to engraving and pressing the clay. Based on the legend they had selected, each child than made a design on paper and then in clay of their individual “story pot.”

The students worked very well and produced some outstanding colourful and imaginative “story pots.”

A lot of organisation was involved in the project but it was fully justified seeing the determination and pleasure on the students’ faces whilst making the pots, and their sense of achievement with the final designs. It was also good for them to have tactile experience of using clay as part of their learning.