Acle High School Exhibit Artwork at NUA's East Gallery

“Barn Owl Flying Over the Reeds” by Aaliyah Clarke and Courtney Ricketts

Today, Year 8 Art students from Acle High School gathered at Norwich University of the Arts’ East Gallery to see their artwork displayed alongside those of illustrators, Glyn Brewerton, Neil Bousfield and Peter Nencini, in the Mapping the Broads: Community and Creativity Exhibition. This Exhibition was the result of the partnership between Norwich University of Arts and Water, Mills and Marshes. The students had the morning to look around the gallery, talk to the curator and were each presented with a copy of the book containing their artwork; published as part of this project. The students’ input into this exhibition was led by Glyn Brewerton, Senior Lecturer and Illustrator at NUA, to engage high school art students with their local environment. The Exhibition ran from January 27th to the 21^st of March

Polkey’s Mill, Wherryman’s Way, River Yare.

The first steps were to give the Acle High School students a broad overview of the history, ecology and economy of the Broads National Park as well as the art of Illustration. This was followed by a day trip to Polkey’s Mill, along the Wherryman’s Way, downstream from Reedham. Polkey’s Mill is a fascinating site, the wind powered drainage mill, the steam pump house, the old diesel driven pump and today’s electric powered pump all stand side by side a few hundred meters from each other. A physical timeline of the different technologies used to drain the marshes.

Environment Agency’s remote control boat.

The diesel pump at the Polkey’s Mill Site.

The day was planned to provide the students with as many different perspectives of the site as possible. They received a guided tour of the mill from Amanda Rix, Norfolk Windmills Trust, did some peat coring and had a demonstration, by the Environment Agency, of the boat used to measure the speed of the river and map its channel. The students took time to draw, take photos and record sounds to help them build their final work.

As well as working at school the students also had a full day using the studios at the Norwich University of the Arts. Glyn Brewerton demonstrated the illustration technique they would use to create their artworks and they set to with a passion. A day of drawing, cutting, pasting and painting culminated in some truly remarkable results.

Once the finishing touches had been added to their artwork, Glyn brought it all together ready for publication and the grand opening of the Mapping the Broads: Community and Creativity Exhibition on January 27.

The exhibition featured in an article in the EDP read here.

Check out the exhibition on the NUA events page here.