Cobholm Primary Academy Art Showcased at Norfolk and Norwich Festival

Last year, pupils in Fern Class (now Willow Class), at Cobholm Primary Academy took part in an exciting art project called the River of Hope, that combined our local river heritage with climate activism. 

The sails designed by each school during the River of Hope Project are now on display at The Forum in Norwich, as part of this year’s Norfolk and Norwich Festival. This exhibition will be available until Sunday 25th May, and brings together the work of over 600 children across Norfolk in celebration of the region’s waterways. 

The River of Hope project uses environmental learning and creative arts practice to help young people express their concerns about the climate crisis.  Pupils at Cobholm explored how the local rivers are used for transport, trade and leisure. As a result, they worked collaboratively to design a sail using flag language and images of Great Yarmouth's famous herring trade, inspired by the work of local artist Ali Atkins. 

The online gallery of work is available here: Thames Festival Trust | River of Hope: Norfolk | Thames Festival Trust 

The project will be continuing this year with a partnership between Cobholm Primary Academy and a school in France. From 2023 to 2025, River of Hope is applied in 7 UK regions: Leeds, Newham (London), Tees Valley, Norfolk, Norwich, Dorset and Plymouth, and also in France (Rouen) and Ethiopia (Addis Ababa and Arba Minch).