Meri Wells workshop : Ysgol Treowain Junior School, Newtown, Powys

Wall panels based on teaching themes

The panels, each measuring 8 x 4 feet, were made by two different years - the oldest group and the youngest in the school. For the older group the theme of 'ourselves' was used as a stimulus for their imagination and creativity.

The group began by drawing portraits of each other and then collaging the portraits into the design which incorporated each class member. All the group was involved in the making of the panel.

The panels were built into shallow relief and slip decorated. The completed pieces were mounted onto boards and fixed to the walls in the school hall where they are a focus to many school activities.The project also included sessions with the teaching staff to enable them to continue this kind of work after the project had finished.

The younger group used the theme of 'Space' to design their lively vision of what outer space was like. The planets, the spacecraft, asteroids and even some of the strange inhabitants of the alien lands.

The process of the making of these panels was filmed by BBC TV and broadcast in two programmes, 'Agoriad Llygad' for S4C and 'Zig Zag' for BBC2.