STUDENTS from The John Henry Newman Academy have been working with a local artist to draw up plans for a community art project in Littlemore.

The project will build a wooden canopy, creating a covered area in Blewitt Court, opposite St Mary and St Nicholas Church.

It will use materials from the Littlemore area and a mural painted on the underside of the canopy will show scenes from the village’s history.

Parish councilor David Henwood said: “We have funding given to the parish council to build the canopy and for a community art project, but we wanted something that was suitable and reflected the history of the village of Littlemore.

“We got the money from the city council several years ago but we couldn’t come up with the right project or the right artist. But this year we found a local artist, Josh Rose.

“The glove now fits and we think it is now the right time to take on this project.

“I have written to Oxford City Council and to Oxford University Botanic Garden to see if we can use a piece of the Tolkein Tree in the project. We are quite excited if we can use that.”

From July 7 to August 10, Mr Rose worked with the children, aged four to nine, to develop designs for the project, one of which will be picked as the final design in the coming months.

Mr Rose, 28, a former pupil at Peers School, said: “I worked with them one day a week for five weeks doing drawing and designing and a site visit.

“It was excellent. The kids were engaged and knew what they were doing and they all had an active focus. We didn’t want to come out with a finished product, it’s all part of a collective process.

“The project will be to build a permanent structure. The idea is that it will still be there for the kids when they are in their 20s or 30s.”

Mr Rose will return to the school to do more work with pupils in September and it is expected work will being towards the end of the year and be completed next July.

 

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