By Derek Schlennstedt
An ambitious creative project at Macclesfield Primary School is teaching preps to weave tapestries.
Since the school year began, preps have been weaving coloured weft threads to create a self-portrait of themselves that will never fade, or lose any of its colour.
The project began when parent Charmaine Kvalic wanted to give something back to her school community.
“I’ve got all this knowledge about tapestry and went to university to study it and I thought it would be wasted if I don’t share it,” Founder of the Children’s Tapestry Project, Ms Kvalic said.
“At the preps very first art class we asked them to do a portrait, and from their portraits the tapestries have come out and are evolving.”
“Every week the preps come in and I have a bit of the tapestry done, and we have a talk about the portrait and the symbolism or significance within it and also what colours should be used, and what thread.”
In conjunction with the art department Ms Kvalic and the prep students have woven 22 individual self-portraits.
The project has been run voluntarily by Ms Kvalic and is self-funded.
At the end of the school year, Macclesfield Primary School will hold an exhibition for all 22 portraitures, which can be bought and will fundraise money for the school.
“A tapestry is a lifetime thing it will last forever, rather than just a piece of paper,” Ms Kvalic said.
“It’s extended their language and given them an insight into an art form that otherwise they wouldn’t have knowledge about.”
Ms Kvalic said the preps were embracing the portrait program and thanked the school for embracing the project.
“They’re learning all the time, playing it like a harp, learning the different threads, and weaves chasing the weft.”
“It’s been amazing, the kids are wild for it.”
“It’s a little school but we have big ideas, so full steam ahead, not just STEM ahead,” she joked.
The exhibition called #mykidcoulddothat will be unveiled at Macclesfield Primary School on 10 December at 6pm, and the tapestries will be available to see until the end of the school term.
