ST Rumon’s and St Peter’s schools in Tavistock have produced triptychs, along with other primary schools, which will be displayed in local churches.

Over 270 children from the strong family of nine primary schools which belong to St Christopher’s Multi Academy Trust have spent the last six months producing a collaborative triptych which will be displayed in the local churches linked to them ahead of a regional exhibition being planned.

The triptychs produced by pupils of St Rumon’s C of E Infants School and St Peter’s C of E Junior School in Tavistock will come together with the other triptychs produced by hundreds of youngsters attending schools belonging to the multi academy trust set up by the Diocese of Exeter.

The nine triptychs, each a work of art divided into three panels, are connected to each other by the common theme of saints and linked to the saint connected to each school.

The ‘Saints Project’, which was facilitated by freelance specialist artist Cari bright in her first collaboration with St Christopher’s Multi Academy Trust, involved youngsters in each school creating a single collage which visually represented the life of their chosen saint.

During the process they learned a wide range of skills and variety of techniques ranging from wax resist with water colours and the application of acrylics to tissue paper layering with PVA glue.

Cari said: ‘Triptychs were chosen as a fitting format for the collage — they symbolise the church and the trinity and are regarded by many as a precious work of art. Collage is a fantastic medium for allowing all abilities and ages to contribute and very inexpensive, with much of the material being free and easily available. A widely misunderstood medium, collage widens children’s positive experience of art and requires considerable thought into the layering and choice of design.’