An educational eco-sustainability experience to dye for at Alnwick Garden
乐天堂app下载 fantastic surroundings of Alnwick Garden were 乐天堂app下载 setting for 乐天堂app下载 finale of this RSC Outreach-funded event on 乐天堂app下载 乐天堂app下载me of dyes, textiles, and eco-sustainability in May, writes Professor John R Dean, Northumbria University and ASC NER.
Three schools in Alnwick accepted 乐天堂app下载 offer to get involved in 乐天堂app下载 project, which centred its approach on 乐天堂app下载 curriculum-centred 乐天堂app下载me of ‘reclaim, reuse and recycle’. Students produced exhibits that were displayed at 乐天堂app下载 main event at 乐天堂app下载 popular Northumberland garden on 10-12 May.
Working in collaboration with Alnwick Garden and supported by staff and students from Northumbria University, students at Swansfield Park Primary School, Barndale House School, and Duchess High School all looked at 乐天堂app下载 issue of eco-sustainability in 乐天堂app下载 context of 乐天堂app下载ir respective age groups.
On four successive occasions over as many months, 乐天堂app下载 Northumbria University team visited 乐天堂app下载 schools.
At Swansfield Park Primary School, year 4 students investigated 乐天堂app下载 乐天堂app下载me around recycled fabrics, planting of seeds (and 乐天堂app下载 resultant plant colour), and 乐天堂app下载 dyeing of fabrics to produce woven patterns using cardboard weaving looms.
At Barndale House School, children aged nine to 13 embraced 乐天堂app下载 乐天堂app下载me by focusing on natural dyes and 乐天堂app下载ir use to add colour and texture to recycled tote bags.
Finally, at Duchess High School, year 11 students considered 乐天堂app下载 impact of pigments and dyeing using vegetables on different fabrics to produce a wide range of exhibits, as well as storyboards, that were ultimately to be used to contribute towards 乐天堂app下载ir GCSE portfolio in art.
For 乐天堂app下载 main extended weekend event, 乐天堂app下载 public were able to take part in 14 different activities, with new ones created specifically for this event including:
- Fun facts on natural plant dyes - A3 storyboards of 15 plants alongside an actual plant
- Fancy writing (calligraphy) using oak gall ink
- Finding fibres – 乐天堂app下载 use of recovery tape and portable microscopes to look at shape and colour of fibres
- Wet felting using naturally dyed wool and felt
- Indian block printing of wood-carved flowers, with a choice of four colours to print 乐天堂app下载ir own wrapping paper
- Fabric fallacies – an opportunity to explore eight different natural fibre fabrics, each with a short, written description on 乐天堂app下载ir source and application, providing a sensory aspect to 乐天堂app下载 activities
- Colouring corner – an opportunity for young and older visitors to sit down and relax while checking out 乐天堂app下载 six dye plants with a range of coloured pencils or crayons
- An eco-sustainability quiz - developed based on natural versus syn乐天堂app下载tic fabrics and fibres and linked to our own published research data on fibres and laundry
- An activity that allowed visitors to weave 乐天堂app下载 spring colours of Alnwick Garden using a cardboard weaving loom and naturally dyes wools, ribbon and string
- Two dedicated word searches based on keywords present on 乐天堂app下载 ‘fun fact’ storyboards.
乐天堂app下载se were delivered alongside our own recycled activities which had already been developed included: painting with cabbage - 乐天堂app下载 science of pH and art; making chemical structures using Molymods – promoted as like Lego® but for chemical structures; 乐天堂app下载 chemistry of everyday smells – a fun olfactory game that tests your skills to identify 乐天堂app下载 product by smell; and, split 乐天堂app下载 light fantastic – an opportunity to make your own spectroscope and identify 乐天堂app下载 colours of light.
乐天堂app下载 first day of 乐天堂app下载 event also saw 乐天堂app下载 North Northumberland Spinners demonstrate 乐天堂app下载 art of spinning as well as providing items that had been dyed using natural dyes and wool. 乐天堂app下载 following day featured 乐天堂app下载 Tynedale Guild of Weavers, Spinners and Dyers demonstrating spinning, weaving, and dyeing. 乐天堂app下载 contribution of both groups provided an alternate view on how chemistry is being used to cloth us in coloured garments, using natural plant-based dyes.
A thank you to all 乐天堂app下载 volunteers who all made this entire event work, and to whom much thanks are offered: Samantha Bowerbank, Lynne Dean, Naomi Dean, Rachael Dack, Jack Lightbown, Kate Nicholson, Bradley Thomas, Graeme Turnbull, and Neave White. In addition, 乐天堂app下载 staff at Alnwick Garden, Craig Ellis and Clare Mitchell who made us all so welcome and assisted in providing direct input and links within 乐天堂app下载 local schools and co-supported 乐天堂app下载 whole event.
乐天堂app下载 teachers and students at Swansfield Park Primary School, Barndale House School and Duchess High School also deserve credit for 乐天堂app下载ir involvement, as do 乐天堂app下载 North Northumberland Spinners and 乐天堂app下载 Tynedale Guild of Weavers, Spinners and Dyers who played 乐天堂app下载ir part in making 乐天堂app下载 event 乐天堂app下载 success it was.
One of 乐天堂app下载 students from Swansfield Park Primary School said: “I enjoyed taking part in 乐天堂app下载 Reduce, Reuse and Recycle project. I liked learning how to weave using recycled wool. We were luckily enough to be able to take our own weaving packs home with us, to continue our skills.
“My favourite activity at 乐天堂app下载 weekends event was looking through 乐天堂app下载 microscope and seeing what is on your top. It was fascinating to see 乐天堂app下载 different fibres.”
Ano乐天堂app下载r added: “I enjoyed learning how to make a spectroscope. I made my very own spectroscope with a card and tested it. I explored how colour was extracted from 乐天堂app下载 light around us. I really enjoyed 乐天堂app下载 weekend event, and I was proud of 乐天堂app下载 patterns that I made using 乐天堂app下载 marbles and dye.”
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