Rivers of the World is an international art and education project delivered in partnership with the British Council that connects pupils around the globe to their local river through environmental, economic and cultural learning and themes.
The two-year programme involves the pupils in the first-year learning about their local river and in the second about a river in another country. Rivers of the World encourages young people to explore and reflect on local and global issues and perspectives to build the skills they need for life and work in a global society.
Working with an artist or designer, who has been trained by our lead artist Shona Watt, pupils learn and gather ideas that are channelled creatively into drawings, paintings, photographs and other visual media which result in the creation of a collective large-scale work of art. The artworks are then curated and exhibited in galleries, along the River Thames walkway, schools across the UK and around the world in partner countries.
Since its creation in 2005, Rivers of the World has been delivered in thirty countries around the world including Egypt, Turkey, China, Hungary, Thailand, Brazil, Indonesia, France, United Arab Emirates, Mexico, South Korea, India, South Africa, Bangladesh, Argentina, USA, Pakistan, Taiwan, and across the UK in London, Hull, Reading.
Rivers of the world started in Sudan in 2019 where six schools created artwork regarding River Nile, portraying important aspects such as culture, pollution, cities by the river, resources of the river, the jobs provided by river and all sorts of life we can find within and by the River.
This year another six schools are taking part in the project, where their students are creating artwork regarding River Thames in London. Exploring the culture, history and significant momentous of the river.
What's unique about this year is that the work is conducted virtually where children are creating the artwork in their home with the support of the artist and their parents.