Grade II-listed phone box transformed into floral art installation by Madeley School pupils
The display will remain in place until Tuesday 30 June.
A Grade II-listed phone box has been transformed into a living floral art installation thanks to a creative collaboration between Brilliant Bamboo and Madeley School.
The display, on Bar Hill in Madeley near All Saints’ Church, was created by Year 7 and Year 8 pupils working alongside floral artist Alice McCabe, of Metafleur, as part of a Creative Freedom project delivered by Newcastle-based Partners in Creative Learning (PICL).
Led by Brilliant Bamboo, the project brought seven artists together with Madeley School students for 10 creative days spread between February and June.
The phone box installation, which features bamboo, dried flowers and living plants, is one of several creative outcomes from the project.
Around 120 young people took part in activities including creating a mural for the school, designing bamboo planters, building large-scale bamboo structures and taking part in a photography walk around the village.
Gemma Thomas, of Brilliant Bamboo, said: “It has been really fun to work with our artists and Madeley School on this creative project, which has taken learning out of the classroom and into the community.
“We wanted all the young people to think of themselves as artists and part of the Brilliant Bamboo collective, and it has been lovely to see how proud they are of their work and what they have created.”
Pupils will also visit Brilliant Bamboo’s brownfield parklet in Stoke town centre later this month as the programme comes to a close.
Katie Leath, director of culture and enrichment at Madeley School, said: “The Brilliant Bamboo creative freedom project has been a wonderful experience for our pupils. They have especially enjoyed working with the different artists with unusual materials. Producing larger scale work and creating outside the classroom has also enriched their participation.”
Reverend Tim Watson, vicar of All Saints’ Madeley, added: “I’m delighted with the transformation of the phone box into this amazing floral, alien wonderland. It was fantastic to see the high school involved in this great project and to work alongside Brilliant Bamboo and Metafleur.
“I’ve had so many positive conversations with local residents. It really feels like one of those projects I see on social media, of a creative thing happening in one of the big cities, so to have seen this emerge in Madeley has been fantastic.”
The phone box installation will remain in place until Tuesday 30 June. The project was part-funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) through Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council, with support from Madeley Parish Council.
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