Pupils create remembrance art installation at Oulder Hill Leadership Academy

To commemorate the sacrifices of local soldiers in conflict, a group of pupils from a secondary school in Rochdale have unveiled a touching art installation to mark Armistice Day.

Talented pupils at Oulder Hill Leadership Academy have created a striking sculpture of ceramic poppies, emblazoned with the names of soldiers from around Rochdale who fought in the First World War, to act as a permanent symbol of remembrance and gratitude.

The artwork was officially unveiled by dignitaries including Councillor Faisal Rana and Sharman Birtles, the Vice Lord Lieutenant of Greater Manchester, at the school’s Remembrance Service on Armistice Day (11 November), before a school-wide minute’s silence at 11am.

Pupils across the school worked collaboratively on the artwork, with key stage 4 history ambassadors supervising the school’s history club, who worked alongside the art department to create the piece, with creative inspiration coming from head girl Libby Cowen and teacher Mr Galway.

 

 

Made from clay, the poppies have been glazed in red – the traditional colour for remembrance in the UK – as well as yellow, the colour used to represent the sacrifice of Indian soldiers during conflict. Printed on many of the installation’s poppies are the names of soldiers from the school’s surrounding area who fought in the First World War.

The artwork will permanently reside in the school’s Remembrance Garden, an area devised by pupils to provide a reflective and peaceful place where all members of the school community could remember lost loved ones, not just on Armistice Day. The garden is a home to a fountain surrounded by stones where pupils can write messages of remembrance.

Commemorating Armistice Day is an important part of life at Oulder Hill Leadership Academy; before the pandemic pupils annually travelled to the battlefields of the First World War, with regular activities undertaken by the school every year. The school won a national award from the Institute of Education for its poppy map project in 2018 and, since 2019, it has been one of just a few schools in the country to be officially affiliated to the Royal British Legion.
 

Read more: Oulder Hill Community School officially adopted by Royal British LegionPublished: 15 May 2019

Likhon Muhammad, principal at Oulder Hill Leadership Academy, said: “It was with great pride that we unveiled our poppy tribute on Armistice Day, a culmination of a tremendous amount of hard work by pupils and staff alike.

 

 

“Honouring those who sacrificed their lives in conflict is very important to us at Oulder Hill Leadership Academy. I’m incredibly proud of the leadership skills displayed by our pupils in completing this project, and the sculpture showcases our pupils’ exceptional talent and high level creativity.

“We would like to thank Councillor Rana for his kind sponsorship of this artwork through the township fund, giving us the chance to have a permanent memorial to local heroes who represented characteristics we try to instil into every pupil at our school.”