Words with Wings was a wonderful project funded by Creative Victoria in which I partnered with Environmental Science teacher Robyn Cairns to create a shorebird-based art-science project with a mixed-age group of the most amazing students from Point Cook P-6 College. Robyn is a great friend of mine, and as well as being an extraordinarily passionate and gifted teacher she is also an artist and a poet. We dreamt the project up together and were so excited when our grant application was accepted so that we could be part of a Creative Victoria Creative Learning Partnership.
Point Cook College is a culturally diverse school community in Melbourne's west, where sixty-one different languages are spoken. It is also very close to the western shores of Port Phillip Bay where some of Victoria's most significant migratory shorebird habitat is located.
In a nutshell, our plan was to create a migratory-shorebird story with the children, then get them to illustrate it with linocuts and also to perform the story to the school community via a purpose-built magnetic storyboard and magnetic printed story pieces. All this took place in terms 2-4 in 2019, with a group of 17 children from grades 1 to 6.
‘Words with Wings’ wove together the many stories of migration of the school community and the migration of migratory shorebirds that share the Point Cook habitat.
Students visited the Western Treatment Plant in Werribee to observe the migratory birds. They heard stories of bird migration from scientists at Bird LIfe Australia and local story-teller Jackie Kerrin. They worked with their teacher Robyn and artist Kate Gorringe-Smith to create a story, images and performance.
This story is called Rosie Wonders.
Point Cook College is a culturally diverse school community in Melbourne's west, where sixty-one different languages are spoken. It is also very close to the western shores of Port Phillip Bay where some of Victoria's most significant migratory shorebird habitat is located.
In a nutshell, our plan was to create a migratory-shorebird story with the children, then get them to illustrate it with linocuts and also to perform the story to the school community via a purpose-built magnetic storyboard and magnetic printed story pieces. All this took place in terms 2-4 in 2019, with a group of 17 children from grades 1 to 6.
‘Words with Wings’ wove together the many stories of migration of the school community and the migration of migratory shorebirds that share the Point Cook habitat.
Students visited the Western Treatment Plant in Werribee to observe the migratory birds. They heard stories of bird migration from scientists at Bird LIfe Australia and local story-teller Jackie Kerrin. They worked with their teacher Robyn and artist Kate Gorringe-Smith to create a story, images and performance.
This story is called Rosie Wonders.
This print-based environmental art and storytelling project wove student's family stories of migration with those of the migratory shorebirds that depend on Point Cook’s local habitat. Words with Wings explored important human issues: why must some animals (including humans) travel to find a home? What makes a home? What are the 'how’s, whys and challenges' of migration?
Students created a collaborative migration story through poetry and prose and linocut prints to illustrate their stories in book form - ‘Rosie Wonders’. Students then developed 'Rosie Wonders' as a performance piece to share with their community.
The purpose of the project was to increase student connections beyond school to allow for the development of a broader social conscience and intercultural capabilities through authentic engagement practices; nurturing empathy in children for those who have faced the challenges of migrating from other countries. In a largely digital world, we hope children will learn to look up and read the sky, read the birds and have more empathy for the world in which they live.
Students created a collaborative migration story through poetry and prose and linocut prints to illustrate their stories in book form - ‘Rosie Wonders’. Students then developed 'Rosie Wonders' as a performance piece to share with their community.
The purpose of the project was to increase student connections beyond school to allow for the development of a broader social conscience and intercultural capabilities through authentic engagement practices; nurturing empathy in children for those who have faced the challenges of migrating from other countries. In a largely digital world, we hope children will learn to look up and read the sky, read the birds and have more empathy for the world in which they live.
Above: The cover of the printed version of 'Rosie Wonders' we gave to the children. Image by Eric, designed by Helen Timbury design.
Above: The images we chose for the printed version of the book - and the story!
THE PROCESS
There were many stages to the project, and each was as enjoyable as it was challenging. For me, as artist, I was at first daunted by my new classroom role, but the children's eagerness and Robyn's professionalism made it a truly moving and wonderful experience.
We began by visiting the Western Treatment Plant with Lindall Kidd, shorebird expert from BirdLife Australia. She give the children a thorough grounding in what a migratory shorebird is and the amazing lives they lead. We then spent classes reading stories about migratory shorebirds, brainstorming story ideas and wonderful shorebird vocabulary and practising drawing shorebirds. We made a mural of the Western Treatment Plant, and nutted out a story. The structure for 'Rosie Wonders' was to ask the children to imagine what it would be like to be Rosie, a young Bar-tailed Godwit on her first migration to the Arctic.
There were many stages to the project, and each was as enjoyable as it was challenging. For me, as artist, I was at first daunted by my new classroom role, but the children's eagerness and Robyn's professionalism made it a truly moving and wonderful experience.
We began by visiting the Western Treatment Plant with Lindall Kidd, shorebird expert from BirdLife Australia. She give the children a thorough grounding in what a migratory shorebird is and the amazing lives they lead. We then spent classes reading stories about migratory shorebirds, brainstorming story ideas and wonderful shorebird vocabulary and practising drawing shorebirds. We made a mural of the Western Treatment Plant, and nutted out a story. The structure for 'Rosie Wonders' was to ask the children to imagine what it would be like to be Rosie, a young Bar-tailed Godwit on her first migration to the Arctic.
Above left: story workshops; centre: the printmaking blocks; right: an Ibis from our mural of Lake Borrie - inspired by our very first lesson which included a trip to the Western Treatment Plant!
When we had the story in place I took my little press to school so that the children could experience the printmaking process.We then painted colourful backgrounds, and the children drew pictures of 'Rosie' as well as other story elements on printmaking blocks which Robyn and I then cut out. I brought them into school and we printed them together first, and then I took the blocks back to my studio to print the book pages. I made four sets of pages, one for the school, one for me, one for Robyn and one for Point Cook College's sister school in Bali - part of the East Asian-Australasian Flyway and therefore another place the birds will stop along their migration! A good friend of mine hand-bound these books, but we also had books printed to give each of the children.
With the story in place we worked on how we might perform it! Again out of my depth, but again saved by the children's willingness and creativity and Robyn's amazing teaching abilities. As part of the grant we'd commissioned the Hobson's Bay Men's Shed to create a purpose-built magnetic story board, for which we made magnetic story-tellings pieces from the prints themselves. These were used to tell the story in conjunction with some acting, some props, accompanying sound effects and two narrators reading out the Rosie story. We performed for a select group of students and staff as well as the students' families. It was a huge success!
With the story in place we worked on how we might perform it! Again out of my depth, but again saved by the children's willingness and creativity and Robyn's amazing teaching abilities. As part of the grant we'd commissioned the Hobson's Bay Men's Shed to create a purpose-built magnetic story board, for which we made magnetic story-tellings pieces from the prints themselves. These were used to tell the story in conjunction with some acting, some props, accompanying sound effects and two narrators reading out the Rosie story. We performed for a select group of students and staff as well as the students' families. It was a huge success!
Above left: Lindall Kidd from Birdlife Australia showing the children some shorebirds through a spotting scope; Centre: Storyteller Jackie Kerin and violin player Sarah Depasquale providing inspiration and entertainment with their 'Tales from the Flyway' performance; Right: the hand-bound books.
THE CHILDREN
The children who created this book in 2019 were from grades 2-6 at Point Cook College. Rosie Wonders is their story with their illustrations, which were made with water-coloured backgrounds and linocut-printed images. Angel, Artem, Chenul, Cheryl, Diya, Eric, Gabby, Gurshaan, Jazze, Jella, Jimmy, Kaufononga, Mirya, Nora, Olivia, Saleem and Wongel and their families have roots in many countries, just like our migratory shorebirds. They and their families come from Korea, Russia, Tonga, Sri Lanka, Samoa, India, China, Russia,Pakistan, the Philippines and Ethiopia, and also call Australia home.
Words with Wings was part of the Creative Learning Partnerships program, and was only able to happen with the wonderful support of Creative Victoria. We'd also like to thank Helen Timbury who created the beautiful Words With Wings logo and book design, including the stunning front cover! Birdlife Australia gave us great support by letting us borrow the wonderful Lindall Kidd for talks and excursions; Jackie Kerin and Sarah Depasquale provided wonder and inspiration when they came to perform their Flyway Stories to the school; David Pool from Wildash Books bound our wonderful books; the gentlemen of the Hobson's By Men's Shed made our magnetic Storyboard a reality! Very many thanks to all, and of course to the support of Port Cook P-9 College for making our Words With Wings project possible!!!
The children who created this book in 2019 were from grades 2-6 at Point Cook College. Rosie Wonders is their story with their illustrations, which were made with water-coloured backgrounds and linocut-printed images. Angel, Artem, Chenul, Cheryl, Diya, Eric, Gabby, Gurshaan, Jazze, Jella, Jimmy, Kaufononga, Mirya, Nora, Olivia, Saleem and Wongel and their families have roots in many countries, just like our migratory shorebirds. They and their families come from Korea, Russia, Tonga, Sri Lanka, Samoa, India, China, Russia,Pakistan, the Philippines and Ethiopia, and also call Australia home.
Words with Wings was part of the Creative Learning Partnerships program, and was only able to happen with the wonderful support of Creative Victoria. We'd also like to thank Helen Timbury who created the beautiful Words With Wings logo and book design, including the stunning front cover! Birdlife Australia gave us great support by letting us borrow the wonderful Lindall Kidd for talks and excursions; Jackie Kerin and Sarah Depasquale provided wonder and inspiration when they came to perform their Flyway Stories to the school; David Pool from Wildash Books bound our wonderful books; the gentlemen of the Hobson's By Men's Shed made our magnetic Storyboard a reality! Very many thanks to all, and of course to the support of Port Cook P-9 College for making our Words With Wings project possible!!!