Children have been showcasing their artistic talents as part of a scheme calling for global climate justice.
Youngsters from Grasmere School & Nursery have been working on a project called Get Creative for Climate Justice – using artwork and creativity to explain how they feel about climate justice and its effects.
The initiative is a partnership between CAFOD, Christian Aid, Oxfam, Save the Children and Send My Friend to School, with support from the Climate Coalition, and is aimed at celebrating and amplifying young people’s voices on the climate crisis.
Children are asked to come up with artistic ways of sharing their opinions about climate change and their hopes for the planet and everyone who shares it.
Their work is then put on display in a school exhibition with local MPs, councillors and members of the public, invited to go along to hear the messages from the students.
Pieces from each school are also selected for a national online gallery, as well as an exhibition in the Houses of Parliament, to inspire MPs to take action.
Grasmere School’s exhibition is in St Oswald’s Church in the village until December 4.
The centrepiece is the installation Scales of Justice, which was worked on by all junior age pupils.
It is made of recycled materials; milk bottles from a local café, old diaries and packaging. The green scales show the impact of climate change. The red scales are shouts for help. The white scales are chemical gases which are causing the problem.
There are baby snakes and old snakeskin surrounding the apples. A snake sheds its skin, and this should be an opportunity to grow into a new and better way to be. But the snake has just kept on getting larger and greedier. The snake’s eggs, and the hatching baby snakes amongst the apples show the dangers of greed in the future.
The youngsters said: “We thought that a snake would be a good symbol, because of the serpent who tempts in the Bible. People are tempted into looking after themselves, not others. We have displayed it around the font, to remind us of the innocence of babies and children, and to point out how unjust the impact of the climate crisis is on them.”
Headteacher Jo Goode said: “The thinking process has been really helpful to the children – clarifying their ideas and giving them a voice. The global situation can feel rather hopeless to children sometimes, and this project has been great because it has really given them an opportunity to be heard. They have strong views about climate change and how it is affecting not only their community but other places in the world.”
