The Radcliffe Trust’s grant enabled the Lettering Arts Trust (LAT) to connect with nine primary schools to offer Wild Little Letters days. Some 150 children were able to join in the cross-curricula sessions.
These daylong workshops comprised a visit to Lettering Arts Trust’s gallery to view the ‘On A Knife Edge’ exhibition about endangered British habitats, animals, flora and fauna followed by a nature walk on the Snape nature reserve to look at and appreciate the environment, and identify lettering shapes in the landscape, trees, grasses and plants. In the afternoon the children drew upon their morning’s experience in their classroom where a professional lettering artist showed them how to draw, paint and craft (collage) letters inspired by forms from nature.
For the Lettering Arts Trust the initiative represented a really positive way to engage with the local East Suffolk community, and brought their work to the attention of teachers, children and, by association, parents as well.
At a reception at the gallery, councillors from East Suffolk Council heard about the Wild Little Letters initiative and consequently some council funding has been offered to allow more schools to be offered the day workshops.
The Lettering Arts Trust has now developed an excellent relationship with the Suffolk Wildlife Trust who are keen to work together to expand the programme for family visitors to their centres.
Wild Little Letters was also nominated for an award from the Association of Suffolk Museums for work with young people.