For two consecutive Wednesdays in March, I visited the Quay Arts Centre in Newport on the Isle of Wight, engaging with local school children through a mix of marine education and creative crafts. Discovering that what they lack in height, they certainly, make up for in questions!
The day began with a ferry ride to the island, followed by a visit to the beach – an essential stop for some sea air and a delicious smoothie bowl from Fin’s Beach Café. As I listened to the lapping waves and wondered why everyone else wasn’t at work either, I prepared for the day ahead.
Arriving at the Quay Arts Centre, I was given the VIP treatment by the wonderfully welcoming staff. Hannah provided a lovely latte from the café, Ian filled me in on the exciting happenings at the Centre, and Connor and Alsya (on alternate weeks) swiftly whisked away my laptop to set up for the upcoming presentation. As we chatted about the school’s previous recent visits to the Centre and their engagement with local artists, our conversation was cut short by the unmistakable sound of eager school children entering the building. It was showtime!
Any nerves about presenting to an unknown audience disappeared as the children walked in, their faces lighting up at the sight of the chairs being set up in a different way than on their last visit. If they were this excited about chair arrangements, I figured the actual workshop was going to be a hit!
Their enthusiasm was evident from the start. As I introduced the wonders of seagrass meadows, right on their doorstep, they were captivated. The cuttlefish was a firm favourite, earning plenty of “oohs” and “ahhs” when its ink-spraying abilities were revealed. We discussed ways to protect seagrass, with some budding marine biologists eager to share their creative conservation ideas. Once the fidgeting began, I knew it was time for the hands-on part of the session.
The clay craft activity invited the children to create a marine creature they’d love to see in the Solent. What followed was an explosion of creativity with multi-coloured, cute, scary, and downright bizarre creatures being presented to me in tiny hands, each one presented along with a beaming, proud smile.
