Blythefield Primary School, Belfast
The whole school immersed themselves in the design process for the Blythefield bench. They chose different flowers to represent the Commonwealth nations as well as the importance of protecting the world’s natural habitats. They also represented countries specific to the children who attend the school: the costus spectabili for Nigeria; the hibiscus for Malaysia and the waterlily for Bangladesh. The students used watercolour as a nod to King Charles’ passion for watercolour painting and they chose specific colours to symbolise different themes: purple and blue for royalty; yellow for hope and red for courage. They chose a stag, an animal the King is fond of, to represent grace and nobility and the Crown Jewels to symbolise the passing of the reign to a new British monarch.
This bench was brought to life in collaboration with artist Sinead Farry – an artist and illustrator who is inspired by the natural world around her.
the winning design
This was such a colourful entry and the collage effect really made it stand out. We thought the way it linked to the places of origin of the young people was very well done.
Tower of London Schools Coronation Competition Judges
the bench at hillsborough
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