Poppy challenge for local schools: 10,000 poppies required for remembrance artworks

A rallying call which echoesKitchener’s famous call to action has gone out across theHumberregion, as local artist Martin Waters appeals for help to create over 10,000 paper poppies for a series of remembrance artworks later in the year.

The Poppy Challenge will be co-ordinated through schools and museums throughout theHumberregion over the coming months, with free packs of poppy-making materials for children to assemble.  Each poppy will feature a tag dedicating it to one of the service men and women from their local area who lost their lives in World War I.

“When you talk about the millions of young men who lost their lives during the First World War, it is difficult to comprehend that each and every one of those was a son or a brother to a family left behind, but this series of floral memorial installations recognises the sacrifice that each and every one from our region made,” comments Nial Adams, Principal Museums Officer, East Riding of Yorkshire Council.   “With each child making a single poppy, they will be able to see how their small contribution plays a part in the much wider project.”

A poppy-making pack will be offered to every school throughout the East Riding, Hulland North Lincolnshire, with additional opportunities for members of the public to get involved at dedicated poppy-making stations within many of the region’s local authority museums and galleries.   A full list of participating sites will be available online at www.joiningupthehumber.co.uk, along with an instructional video on how to assemble the petals and leaves into a poppy.   Schools can either drop their completed poppies off at their local museum or arrange for them to be collected by project’s learning team.

In total, four installations will be created by Hull-based artist Martin Waters, timed to coincide with Remembrance Sunday.  The artworks will be on display in late October and November 2014 across four sites in the Humber region: Beverley Minster, St Lawrence’s Church in Scunthorpe,HolyTrinityChurchinHulland theFerensArtGallery.

The Poppy Challenge, which is supported by the Royal British Legion, is part of the Joining Up the Humber Museums initiative, which links 18 museums and galleries across the East Riding, Hulland North Lincolnshire.  The initiative, which is funded by the Arts Council, brings a collaborative approach to World War I commemorative exhibitions and events across the Humberregion.  Alongside the museum-based displays, schools will be able to visit www.joiningupthehumber.co.uk for a range of World War I-themed resources, and invite the JUTHM learning team along to schools and colleges.

For more information, please visit www.joiningupthehumber.co.uk

ENDS

Notes to editors:

Joining Up the Humber Museums is supported by a £1 million grant from Arts Council England.  The initiative runs until 2015, and will support commemorations of the centenary of the First World War in the Humber region.  The money will be used to improve galleries and facilities across the three council's services in preparation for exhibitions in 2014 and beyond, including the opening up of Georgian Houses, part of Wilberforce House in Hull.

There will also be funding made available to engage with a number of additional partners from the region who wish to engage with WWI centenary projects, including opportunities for volunteering, education and other outreach projects.

For further media information or photographs, please contact:

Jay Commins

Pyper York Limited

Tel: 01904 500698

Mob: 07810 546567

Email: jay@pyperyork.co.uk