Schools across east London have been presented with copies of panels displaying their student’s artwork which have been on display on hoardings around the Olympic Park site.
Following a creative engagement programme run last year by the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) and Tower Hamlets-based social enterprise Signs of Life, 17 primary, secondary and special needs schools in the five Host Boroughs had their artwork put on display last summer on hoardings on the Hackney Wick towpath on the edge of the Olympic Park site.
With construction activity accelerating on site, the temporary hoardings around the Olympic Park are now being replaced by a perimeter fence for safety and security reasons. The panels with the children’s artwork have been relocated into the main construction sites within the Park so that site workers and visitors can continue to enjoy them. Special additional copies of the artwork panels have also now been produced and presented to each of the 17 schools so they that can be put on permanent display for pupils to see.
Each of the 17 schools has been presented with at least two artwork panels measuring 1.5m by 3m. The panels display a picture and description of the artwork together with the name of the school and a photo of the students involved. The ODA’s Delivery Partner Director Mike Szomjassy visited Seven Mills Primary School in Tower Hamlets last week to meet students and see where their artwork panels are being displayed at the school.
ODA Chief Executive David Higgins said: 'The children’s artwork on Hackney Wick towpath has been a great way to engage the local community with the 2012 project and moving these hoardings inside the Olympic Park will ensure the artwork continues to be an inspiration to the thousands of workers on site. I’m delighted that copies of the children’s artwork panels will also now be displayed at schools around east London, giving pupils a permanent reminder of the inspiring role they played on the road to 2012.'
As construction activity on the Park site accelerates, the ODA is continuing its extensive programme to raise awareness about the importance of health and safety around construction sites for people in the local area. Over the course of the last year, the ODA’s 'Stay safe, Stay out' health and safety drama workshops have been performed to more than 2,600 local students and a new programme of workshops is being planned for the start of the new school year.
ODA’s Head of Health & Safety Lawrence Waterman said: 'Our health and safety workshops have been a great way of helping local children understand the potential dangers of playing near construction sites, and we look forward to meeting thousands more children in the new school year to give them this important message. In the meantime, we urge parents and local children to continue to stay safe around the Olympic Park during the school summer holidays.'
Notes to Editors:
Photographs of the artwork panels on display at schools, and the presentation at Seven Mills Primary School in Tower Hamlets can be downloaded from
http://mm.gettyimages.com/mm/nicePath/locog?nav=pr126360114 The schools involved were:
- John F Kennedy Special School, Newham
- Hallsville Primary School, Newham
- Brampton Manor Secondary School, Newham
- Ickburgh Special School, Hackney
- Downsview Special School, Hackney
- William Patten Primary School, Hackney
- Cardinal Pole Rc Secondary School, Hackney
- Willow Dene Special School, Greenwich
- Greenacres Primary School, Greenwich
- Haimo Primary School, Greenwich
- Thomas Tallis Secondary School, Greenwich
- Phoenix Special Needs Mixed School, Tower Hamlets
- Seven Mills Primary School,Tower Hamlets
- George Green's Secondary School, Tower Hamlets
- Whitefield Special Schools And Centre, Waltham Forest
- Ainslie Wood Primary School, Waltham Forest
- Heathcote Secondary School, Waltham Forest
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For further information please contact the Olympic Delivery Authority Press Office on +44 (0)20 3 2012 700.
The construction of the venues and infrastructure of the London 2012 Games is funded by the National Lottery through the Olympic Lottery Distributor, The Department for Culture, Media and Sport, the Mayor of London and the London Development Agency.
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