Young people show what Staffordshire means to them in new art project

People are being invited to a new art exhibition at Lichfield Cathedral celebrating what Staffordshire means to school pupils.

The project, which launches on Sunday, is part of the Staffordshire Day celebrations on 1 May when the county comes together to share its pride and celebrate all that’s great about Staffordshire.

Artists visited six schools across the county to offer workshops ranging from creative writing to dance to ceramics. The project has been organised by We Are Staffordshire, the place marketing delivery organisation for the county, with the aim to inspire young people’s pride in Staffordshire.

Windsor Park Middle School in Uttoxeter worked with Katie Holtom to create a collection of stories, poetry, memories and musings during their workshop. Katie said,

“It was an absolute joy to work with so many children, who were obviously incredibly proud of where they live. They were excited to use these new art forms to explore deeper into Staffordshire and feel empowered to celebrate their home!”

Simon Warburton, Executive Director of Lichfield Cathedral and We Are Staffordshire Place Board member said,

“We Are Staffordshire recognises that pride in our County needs to start as young as possible. With the kind support of Staffordshire County Council, the board was able to commission several artists to help inspire some of Staffordshire’s school children. I am delighted to be able to help these talented children show their work at Lichfield Cathedral, which will be on display for Staffordshire Day. Entry to the Cathedral is free, so please come and support and their work.”

Willows Primary School, Lichfield took part in the project. Mrs Jo Whitmore, Headteacher said,

“The children loved finding out about the origins of the three-looped Staffordshire knot and used their interpretation of this in their dance. This has helped our children identify with the local area in which they live and learn and has given them a great sense of pride for Staffordshire. Thank you to the fabulous dance teacher, Claire Pring for sharing her expertise with us, and thank you to all involved at ‘We are Staffordshire.’ This was a day that the children won’t ever forget!”

Philip White, Deputy Leader at Staffordshire County Council said,

“We have a lot to shout about here in Staffordshire, and over the last years we’ve used Staffordshire Day to tell the world what a wonderful place it is to live in and visit.

“The celebrations are for everyone and it’s great to see the children and young people getting involved in the day and showi

ng what the county means to them. I’d encourage people to try and get along to Lichfield Cathedral during the week.”

The ceramic sculptures and creative writing will be on display at Lichfield Cathedral from Sunday 30 April until Thursday 4 May 2023 (am). For more information about opening times, visit www.lichfield-cathedral.org

Photo captions (L to R):

L to R, pupils Eefa, Olivia and Boe at Outwoods Primary School, Burton upon Trent with their ceramic creations. Photo credit: i-creation

Pupils at Cheslyn Hay Primary School, who took part in a creative dance workshop.

Pupils at Windsor Park Middle School, Uttoxeter with their creative writing books

L to R, pupils Zayne Liddle, Alex Bradley, Noah Samuel at Willows Primary School, Lichfield creating the Staffordshire Knot as part of their dance workshop. Photo credit: i-creation