Pupils have been making waves across central London this September through producing art which featured at a festival celebrating the River Thames.
The artworks, created by students from five Newham secondary schools and a City of London primary school, were workshopped alongside artists Shona Watt and Fiona Grady to reflect the theme ‘River of Hope’.
Taking the theme from its name, the River of Hope (RoH) project is running the programme as part of the Totally Thames Festival, with the artworks displayed on London’s Northbank.
The festival is a celebration of Thames-side heritage and culture organised by the Thames Festival Trust (TFT).
Kate Forde, head of education and engagement at TFT said that the mission behind the project was to help young people feel more engaged in their communities and natural environments, describing how students ‘came alive’ when visiting the River Lea as part of the programme.
Tom Chivers, TFT’s heritage project manager, also touched on the transformative effect of nature on the pupils.
“It’s just so important to get people out of the online space into a real tangible place where they can also sense things,” he said.
“And I just think for young people, that is something so beneficial to wellbeing.”
The organisation hopes to go beyond stimulating appreciation for nature and wants to inspire youngsters to actively look after their environment, recognising the important role it plays in their communities.
Specifically in London, Forde hopes that the cultural offerings provided by the students and other festival artists can help combat rising polarisation in the city, demonstrating how the River Thames connects all residents as an ‘artery’ of the city.
When protests in support of far-right figure Tommy Robinson occurred a day before two mass choral performances organised by Totally Thames, she said:
“It just felt even more important than ever to bring people together to sing, to be joyful, to celebrate difference and to have a common purpose.”
Community building is a focus across all TFTs projects, with the RoH installation aiming to produce a sense of belonging and pride in the students involved.
With a flag installation in Cody Dock and a showcase in Compressor House also displaying the students’ art and poetry, Forde says they are ‘really seeing themselves as part of the city, as relevant and being heard’.
Liam Guest, a 20-year-old hospital porter from Sutton, noticed the artwork on the riverside beneath Millennium Bridge while waiting for a friend and said that it was nice to see something bright and colourful in the city.
As different people mingle around the Thames, Chivers says it is a perfect vehicle to help young people feel connected to London, as it represents the welcoming heart of the city.
“The great thing about the Thames being tidal is that you have this back and forth. There’s a kind of oscillating pattern of the flood and the tides. So you just get this amazing sense of movement,” he said.
“And I think that’s one of the things that’s really important to think about in terms of the history of London, which is that it’s somewhere that is always changing.
“It’s always welcoming new communities of people. People come, people leave, people make their lives here.”
Featured image credit: Megan Norcott
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