Staff and students from UWTSD Swansea College of Art have been making a festive impact with local children from Christchurch Primary and St Helen’s Primary. Working with the outreach team, the pupils made fairy wings for the Christmas Parade, which are now on display at St Mary’s Church in the city centre.
Installed above the font in the Church, the installation makes use of the light streaming in through the incredible stained-glass windows to illuminate the children's work. At night, fairy lights make the installation glow. The creative artwork can be viewed throughout the Christmas period.
The workshops were hosted by the University as part of its reaching wider/widening access project, which through collaboration, offers a range of learning and aspiration-raising activities for children, young people, and adults across South West Wales to create pathways to higher education.
Anne-Marie Adkins, Headteacher of Christchurch (Church in Wales) Primary School said:
“We were thrilled to be invited to be part of this project and walk in the parade with UWTSD. It has been such a positive experience from the start. The workshops were well organised and allowed us to work collaboratively with St. Helen’s Primary School, and our shared Sandfields families and community.
“The parade was a special event and a lot of fun. The wings looked magnificent lit up in the dark, and the children and families thoroughly enjoyed. I was so impressed with the display of the wings in St. Mary’s Church, ahead of the Civic Carol service this week. Our children and Christchurch family feel a real sense of pride and belonging, to have been involved in such a wonderful event and we are all looking forward to any future projects. Diolch Amanda and team.”
Amanda Roberts, Senior Educational Liaison Officer at UWTSD said:
“The Christmas Parade is a magical project where children and their families from the local area can spend time together working creatively and creating special memories. Delivered through the Art & Design Fun Days initiative run by Swansea College of Art, UWTSD and funded by Reaching Wider, the project allows UWTSD to raise aspirations and share opportunities for all ages to study Art & Design in Higher Education.
