Gallions Primary School, Newham, East London E6.
These beautiful butterflies and moths are now immortalised in handmade sparkling mosaics around the entrance to Gallions Primary School, inspiring the pupils and the school community every day. One panel celebrates three local butterflies, another three local moths and a third mosaic is a colourful Painted Lady butterfly welcome sign, also a local butterfly. The three butterflies are a Cabbage White, a Peacock and a Comma . The moths are a Cinnabar, Jersey Tiger and a Common Emerald. Pupils and staff made the handmade clay tiles that border the mosaics, and we ran 4 days of workshops with pupils and parents coming in to help glue down the mosaics. They transform the entrance into the school and are colourful, educational and tactile for the whole school community to enjoy.
“Our whole school community came together for a special community project: the Butterfly Project! With support fromL&Q (Housing Associates) and artist Maud Milton, we created stunning mosaic signs to celebrate butterflies and their role in our local environment. The hands-on and creative parts of the Mosaic Project were a big help in including kids from our school’s autism Resource provision. Many autistic children find it hard to talk about their feelings with words. But because the project let them take photos, draw, and build things, they had other ways to show what they thought. These visual and non-talking methods made it easier for them to share, lowering any worry or too much sensory input that can come with being directly asked questions. Doing things they could touch and make, at their own speed, using their strengths, helped them get deeply involved. This made sure their voices were truly heard in the project.”
Gallions Primary School
“Working with the artists and our whole school community has been a joy. Our butterfly mosaics have brought everyone together in a swirl of colour, creativity and care for nature. We’ve had fun learning about local pollinators while making something beautiful that will brighten our school for years to come.”
Janifar Manoranjalingam
Gallions Art Lead
“I feel happy about being part of this project because it will be there forever and I was part of it. It was a great idea and very inclusive”
Miah April
Year 5 pupil
“I have enjoyed learning a new skill. The assistants are very patient and explain very well. They look amazing and I can’t wait to see them outside on the walls.”
Marina Lombani
Parent