Cleveland State School students (from left) Sophie Eckersley, Jazzy Monod and Blake Allan with the multicultural quilt that is a work in progress.
Birkdale Primary School students Kaysha - Lee Plint on guitar and Liam Toft on Trumpet are gearing up for the Espressivo art and music festival on June 15-16.Photo by Chris McCormack
THE various cultures represented at Cleveland Primary School will be illustrated in a quilt in a project promoting multiculturalism at the school.
The school P&C's Lucy Elliott has spear-headed the project, giving a 20cm calico square to each of the 700 students at the school.
"The aim is for the children to think about their square and build something relevant on it with colour and design," Lucy said.
"We sent the squares home with instructions and asked the students at home to talk about the images that link them to their parents and grandparents.
"This could include familiar images, designs, symbols and colours. This could be the colours of a flag or even a sports team.
"It may be the image of a plant, animal, insect or even an abstract design. This could also include people or a landscape."
Lucy said the quilt project started in April and had received an "amazing response".
"It is wonderful to see the school community supporting and giving our students the opportunity to express, share and value one another's heritage.
"The squares reflect so many different aspects of our students' lives ? their feelings, friendships, passions, beliefs, sense of connectedness and multicultural identities."
Lucy said more than 100 squares had already been completed and workshops would be given to students needing more help with their input.
The pieces will then be sewn together by the school's craft group and the finished product used in the new school hall. There will be a display of the "evolving" quilt at the school fete on Saturday, June 16.