Exciting new art project ‘Gem of the Sea' for the Island’s children
We have launched our new educational series ‘Gem of the Sea’, an exciting new art project for Jersey’s school children spanning ages eight to fourteen.The project was inspired by young people across the Island who wished to develop their knowledge of Jersey and climate change education, following an educational review instigated by the COP26 (the late UN Climate Change Summit) Education Pledge.
The launch of ‘Gem of the Sea’ was made possible thanks to a grant from the Coop Community Fund, alongside the support of the Government of Jersey as part of its commitment to support art, heritage and culture. It takes its title from Jersey’s patriotic song ‘Beautiful Jersey’ and aims to contribute to the enhancement and improvement of art and design education in local schools while offering opportunities to reinforce other curriculum areas such as oracy, science, geography and PSHE. It supports teachers to deliver innovative, original and locally-focused art lessons by providing detailed resources, links and videos.
The project resources made available to schools across the Island will cover the shoreline of Jersey and climate change, children’s rights, liberty & freedom, fishing and farming, safety at sea and emotional health & wellbeing. Each episode uses Jersey as inspiration and cross references with the work, research data or opportunities provided by local charities and organisations.
The rights of children and young people and their personal development are central to the project, which explores Jersey’s geography, industries, biodiversity, climate change and the development of positive mental health. An exciting episode will also be developed to celebrate the 80th celebration of the Liberation of Jersey in 2025.
Gem of the Sea will include six episodes that will be released across the academic year between 2024 and 2025. These can be accessed through the Education Page of our website where these new resources can be easily accessed on the education platform Padlet. The first episode covers drawing and abstracted paintings, paper sculptures and seascape collage.
Curriculum Adviser to ArtHouse Jersey, Kate Sugden said, “After working in the area of curriculum development for numerous years with colleagues in both ArtHouse Jersey and the education sector, I am very excited to be part of the team who are developing Gem of the Sea. Gem of the Sea empowers children and young people to explore climate change through the lens of art and design, giving them the tools to express their ideas, connect with others, and creatively respond to the potential challenges of our modern and future world. Driven by the voices of our children and young people across the education sector, this initiative enriches and modernises the art and design curriculum to reflect the local and global context, fostering a generation that is prepared to lead with imagination,resilience, and a deep sense of community.”
Jacque Rutter (Artist & Educator) “I am proud to have helped develop Gem of the Sea with ArtHouse Jersey, an educational resource which will help pupils explore important issues affecting Jersey such as climate change and personal freedom through creativity. This series of short films, with teacher resources, focuses on the development of skills and knowledge links to on island agencies and cross curriculum links. Artists referenced are both local and international and represent a range of ethnic and gender role models. Above all, for me art is about awe and wonder and I hope the students will feel empowered by the information in the program to become guardians of Jersey in their future. As young artists they can explore and help change the world, developing personal resilience along the way.”
