Rivers of the World Rivers of the World is the Thames Festival Trust’s flagship education project delivered in partnership with the British Council. Rivers of the World inspires young people to see the potential for art in their lives. It champions their creativity and develops young audiences for galleries. The project gives teachers skills to deliver arts-based learning; develops awareness about rivers; and provides the framework for international partnerships to flourish with both artists and schools. Now in its 14th year, Rivers of the World has been delivered in over 30 countries around the world. Each year we work with one new London borough and two new UK cities on a 2-year cycle. We link each school with a school in a partner city overseas. Magnificent artworks are created through the project by pupils under the guidance of professional artists and exhibited in London and across the participating cities. The pupils’ artworks are inspired by their local waterfront. This year we have worked with young people from Barking & Dagenham, Exeter, Worcestershire, Kenya, Malawi and Palestine who are in year one of the project alongside Bromley & Bexley, Hull, Reading, Nepal, Nigeria and Sierra Leone who are in year two. riversoftheworld.org Opposite: Artwork detail: All Saints Catholic School with Shona Watt This page: Pupils from Celebration Co-Ed School by Kailash K Shrestha Where we work 2006-2018 Rivers of the World has partnered children and young people in the UK with their counterparts from over 30 countries around the world enabling international collaboration and dialogue through the study of rivers and culture. Ireland Hungary China England India Turkey Nepal South Korea France Pakistan Egypt USA Thailand Taiwan Mexico United Arab Emirates Palestine Vietnam Bangladesh Sierra Leone Ethiopia Nigeria Philippines Sri Lanka Kenya Brazil Indonesia Zambia Malawi Argentina South Africa Photos by Adrian Evans 02.03 Lead Artist Shona Watt London based artist Shona Watt has been the lead artist for Rivers of the World since its inception. Shona is known for creating spectacular flags that have been seen worldwide, from the opening of the Millennium Footbridge in London to the opening of the Melbourne Museum in Australia. After attending Ravensbourne College of Art she received a Northern Arts Award (1996) and a Craft Council Award (1997). Major art commissions include The Millennium Footbridge, Hungerford Footbridge, The London Eye Palestine & and Melbourne Museum, Australia. Barking & Dagenham “ Rivers of the World provides students with vital opportunities to experiment and surprise themselves in an immersive experience of different art forms and cultures, which would not be available through the standard curriculum. The project is a wonderful way of demystifying some creative industries, while providing a glimpse into career opportunities that might otherwise be overlooked.” 1 2 3 5 1 & 3 Pupils from Eastbury Community School by Ed Stone 2 Pupils from Fatima Alzahra Secondary School for Girls by Amer Shomali 4 Pupils from Masqat Secondary School for Girls by Amer Shomali 5 Pupil from Auja Basic Co-Ed School by Photo by Ed Stone Amer Shomali 4 04.05 Artist, Palestine Amer Shomali Amer Shomali is a Palestinian multidisciplinary artist. He uses painting, films, digital media, installations and comics as tools to explore and interact with the sociopolitical scene in Palestine. Much of Shomali’s work examines the creation and the use of the Palestinian revolution’s iconography. His artworks are part of several collections including: The British Museum, the Museum of Manufactured Response to Absence (MoMRtA), Birzeit University Museum and Al-Qattan Foundation. Shomali co-directed an award winning animated documentary, The Wanted 18, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2014. The film was awarded the best documentary award in Abu Dhabi, Carthage, Traverse City, and Al-Jazeera Film Festivals. The Wanted 18 was in the official submission lists for the foreign language and documentary categories of the 88th Academy Awards. Born in Kuwait in 1981, Shomali holds a BSc in Architecture from Birzeit University in Palestine, and a Master’s degree in Animation from Bournemouth University in the United Kingdom. He is currently based in Ramallah, Palestine. Al Razim, pupil from Pupil from Ein Sultan Co-Ed Photo by Hamza Shomali Ein Sultan Co-Ed School School by Amer Shomali 06.07 Jericho Palestine The workshops in Jericho focused on the ‘lost river’ as Palestinians no longer have access to the River Jordan. Pupils researched plants that once grew along the river; stones that used to be dug up from the riverbed and the problems that they face daily due to the lack of water supplied to their territories. “ We enjoyed the workshop because it tackled contemporary issues that we live with everyday in the camp; lack of water and drought. These are issues which the world should pay attention to. I think that we managed to take our ideas and translate them into a beautiful meaningful artwork.” Ziad Mansou, teacher from Auja Basic Co-Ed School 1 2 3 1 Scene from Jericho by Kate Forde 2 Pupil from Aqabet Jaber Basic Boys School by Amer Shomali 5 Artwork from Fatima 3 Pupil from Fatima Alzahra Secondary Alzahra Secondary School for Girls with School for Girls by Amer Shomali Amer Shomali 6 Pupils from Fatima 4 Pupil from Jericho Alzahra Secondary Secondary School for School for Girls by Girls by Amer Shomali Amer Shomali 4 5 6 08.09 Barking & Dagenham UK Using historical illustrations, festivals and riverside development as inspiration, the students made fantastical artworks from gloves, skulls and sequins. Maria, pupil from Barking Abbey School 1 1 Pupils from All Saints Catholic School by Shona Watt 2 Detail from Eastbury Community School by Shona Watt Artwork detail: Dagenham 3 Detail from Barking Park Church of England Abbey School by School with Shona Watt Shona Watt 2 3 10.11 Artworks Palestine Kenya & Worcestershire Fatima Alzahra Jericho Secondary Masqat Secondary Auja Basic Co-Ed School Aqabet Jaber Basic Ein Sultan Co-Ed School Secondary School School for Girls School for Girls The students highlighted Boys School The pupils re-enacted for Girls Palestinians used to dig The water from the Awja the fact that drought The distribution of water images and stories from The Indigo plant grew out black stones from River is being pumped and pollution are to the Israeli settlements the 1948 war when many on the banks of the River the riverbed which they away before it can surface, destroying our planet. is five times greater than Palestinian families fled Jordan and was used called the Dead Sea leaving the river dry and They questioned: what the water supplied to the across the River Jordan by Palestinian women Stones. They would carve the canal filled with plastic can be done to help? Palestinians. The artwork and are still displaced in to dye their traditional the stones into plates, water bottles, destroying Should they search for represents their dry their own country today. dresses. These were vases and little souvenirs the ecosystem and another planet? How far valley and empty river then embroidered with and decorate them with disturbing the wildlife could bicycles take them? juxtaposed with the vibrant silk threads, using patterns. The pupils around it. The coloured flourishing trees on the geometrical shapes decorated a minefield stones represent the river other side. which represented the imitating the stone craft as it once was: full of nature surrounding them. and highlighting the end colour and life. of a tradition. Barking & Dagenham 1 2 3 1 Detail from Blackminster Middle School by Sarah Brown Robert Clack School All Saints Catholic School Dagenham Park Church Eastbury Barking Abbey School Riverside School 2 Pupil from City Primary Taking inspiration from October Plenty is a of England School Community School Students explored the Riverside School’s campus School by James Njoroge the painted ‘map gloves’ harvest festival that takes Students explored the Students investigated threat to the Thames is located directly beside 3 Pupils from designed by George place on the South Bank theme River Culture. Using the nearby Walthamstow from fast food outlets in the Thames. Millions are Langata Junior School Shrove for the Great of the River Thames. It is historical illustrations, they Wetlands Centre; an central London and the being invested into the by James Njoroge Exhibition in Hyde Park in a parade that culminates collaged pop-up books important bird and wildlife consequence of fats development of the area 1851, the students explored at the world famous based on various famous sanctuary in East London collecting in the sewers. and it has been quoted 4 Pupils from Nunnery the theme Working River. Borough Market where events connected to the and the largest in Europe. They took inspiration that it will become, “the new Wood High School by Each pupil created an the Harvest Queen is Thames; Frost Fairs, The The group learned about from memento mori Barcelona”. Students were Sarah Brown embroidered glove to displayed. Students made Plague, Guy Fawkes’ the migration routes of and from Ariel’s song encouraged to design 5 Pupils from St Egwin’s illustrate the history of fruits and vegetables attempt to blow up the birds through London from Shakespeare’s their ideal fantasy living Middle School by the Thames. from sequins to create Houses of Parliament and and the importance of The Tempest to turn fast space using cardboard Pete Ashton a Pearly Harvest Queen. the Great Fire of London. wetlands for the birds’ food into, “something and decorative tapes. They then wrote poems long journeys. rich and strange”. 4 5 about the river. Artist, Kenya Artists, Worcestershire James Njoroge Pete Ashton & Sarah Brown James Njoroge is a collage and caricature artist Pete Ashton is a multidisciplinary multimedia artist based in Limuru, Kenya.