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Rivers of the World unite along the Thames

 

Pupils at Valentines High School will be the envy of artists everywhere with their artwork on display to millions of people on the south bank of the River Thames as part of the Mayor’s Thames Festival.

Rivers of the World is a Thames Festival project delivered in partnership with the British Council’s Connecting Classrooms and with support from HSBC Global Education Trust. The project links more than 2,000 young people from around the world each year, through shared river themes.

With support from the British Council - the UK’s organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities - and Thames Festival Trust, students from 32 London secondary schools have been linked with schools in cities in France, Hungary, India, Thailand, Turkey and the USA. They have spent the last year studying the history, culture and environment of their local river – in London, the Thames – or a river in their partner country and, with the help of professional artists, have produced huge art works inspired by what they have learnt.

As well as being displayed along the River Thames, the works of art have also been reproduced for an exhibition in the gallery@oxo and for other riverside venues in the participating countries.

The Rivers of the World runs every year and three new countries join the programme each year. By 2012, more than 17 countries will have taken part in Rivers of the World. The project is supported by HSBC’s Global Education Trust and the City of London Corporation.