Learning

Once upon a tile...

On display in the Walker Art Gallery from 18 June to November 2007

During February and March 2007, a group of young people from the Get Connected project at Refugee Action participated in ‘Once upon a tile…’, an arts project at National Museums Liverpool. The inspiration for their artwork was taken from the ceramic tiles on display in the Craft and Design gallery at the Walker Art Gallery and focused on the theme of stories.

The group took part in a number of workshops, led by artist Charlotte Brown. They began by discussing a variety of stories, from fairytales, legends and fables to tales of real life. The group finally decided on two stories which they would aim to interpret through a series of images.

In order to do this they selected objects both from our collections and around Liverpool city centre and created digital images to represent the different parts of their stories. The chosen images were then transferred onto ceramic tiles and displayed together as the finished stories:

• The Thirsty Crow; a fable that one member of the group remembered from his childhood, which tells how a clever animal’s persistence helps him find what he is looking for.
• Girl; the story of a young girl who leaves the danger of her homeland to find safety and refuge in another country. This was an original story written by a member of the group.

This project was delivered through the Engaging Refugees and Asylum Seekers project, which aims to include local refugees and asylum seekers in outreach activities and events throughout our venues.