Flanshaw Road Primary School’s Our Place: Henderson Creek book was the culmination of the school’s long standing involvement with Project Twin Streams and explores the students’ special relationship with their stream through art, showcasing their unique point of view.
[Not a valid template]
The seed for Our Place was planted in 2004 when Project Twin Streams approached the school to participate in a community planting day as well as an art initiative. What began as a simple art project grew into a number of artistic ventures and cemented the relationship with Flanshaw Road and Project Twin Streams – a relationship that continues to this day.
After attending this original planting day, the students returned to learn more about native flora and fauna cementing their understanding of the local issues facing the stream.
PTS worked with the teacher and students over 10 weeks to create individual large-scale pastel works, designed to weave together like a tapa cloth to tell a larger story. Students were asked to reflect on the stream, the environment and also their culture through colour and symbols.
The finished artworks were mounted on card and displayed at an art exhibition at Tui Glen during Henderson Creek Celebration Weekend in 2010.
It was so well received that it was decided to put together a book to showcase the artwork and thus Our Place was born. Published by the school, it showcases the students’ artwork, records their thoughts on the future of the stream and poses environmental questions that demand attention and action from the reader. The book is a useful resource for schools and a vehicle to communicate the impact Project Twin Steams is having on the West Auckland Community.
Since the book the school has produced a mural representing a taniwha (guardian of the stream) with twin streams hedged by nikau palms and a short Project Twin Streams play that was then turned into a school production.
Flanshaw Road Primary School have adopted an area of Henderson Creek near their school which they work to maintain.