‘Storytelling Through Art’ is this year’s theme and we would love every child to make a ‘Journey Stick’ which we will exhibit at the Big ART Exhibition (15th-16th November Sherston British School Rooms). Simply create your journey stick at home and bring it into school by Thursday 6th November.

What’s a journey stick?

It is a visual map of a journey – it could represent your life and what you love or a specific journey/holiday or a single walk! Historically journey sticks were used by Indigenous Peoples as a storytelling device – creating a visual map of where they had travelled so they could remember and tell their stories.

How do I start?

1. Find a stick (something you can easily carry and not bigger than you!)
2. Decide what story you would like to tell. Will it be a single walk? A holiday? Or the story of your life and what you love? It really is up to you!
3. Personalise your stick… this is where you can get really creative! You could start off painting it or go straight in and wrap it with favourite bits of material or wool. If your stick is going to record one walk – think about picking up fallen leaves/pine cones/feathers on the way and attaching those to you stick with wool or glue. If you would like your stick to tell the story of your life – use wool to tell us about your favourite colour or attach scraps of material that you love. Perhaps you can tie on a favourite shell, some beads, a ribbon, a picture or even a very mini toy! Anything goes as long as its firmly attached – this is your artwork and your story! Check out the pictures below for some ideas. If you are attaching leaves you might want to press them first so they keep their shape for the exhibition.
4. When you have finished make sure the brown tag is securely attached to your stick at the bottom with your name and class on one side and perhaps the name of your journey on the other e.g ‘A walk at Westonbirt’, ‘My holiday in cornwall’ or ‘My life from 0 to 7’ etc.
5. For fun… why not show your stick to a friend, parent, carer or grandparent and tell them about your story.
6. Bring it to school by Thursday 6th November.
7. Come to the exhibition at the British School Room 15th-16th November to see your art work exhibited and be part of the BIG ART Exhibition. For more information on the exhibition click here.