Yorkshire: "Appleton Primary School"

A collection of the drawings produced by the children of Appleton Primary School During the spring term of 2005, primary school children in Hull worked with artist Ian Killen on a collaborative drawing project inspired by the import and export over the last 100 years through Hulls docks. He worked with over 50 year 5 pupils creating a collaborative drawing inspired by the import and export trade through Hull docks over the past 100 years.

The aim of this project was to make these Key Stage 2 pupils more actively aware of Hull’s historical status as an international port and the role the Port of Hull has played in the cultural, commercial and creative identity of Hull and Great Britain.

The children’s drawings were inspired by stories of Dockers finding spiders in crates of bananas and selling them on to local pet shops. Accounts of European zoos visiting Great Britain through Hull and the export of fashion goods and fabric also caught the groups’ imaginations.

The children’s art work was then exhibited at the Ferens Art Gallery over HODs 2005 (Sept 8-11). The school children visited the artwork and received a copy of their drawings to take away with them. They also took part in a workshop creating drawings of historic buildings found in paintings around the gallery to form a historic cityscape back at their school.

“Ian talked about the docks and made us think about all the people who have worked there. He told us funny stories about the people’s lives and the things that they did.”
Jack, Year 5

“The English Heritage project was a great opportunity for the pupils to think about the lives of many of their grandparents in the Port of Hull.”
Janine Addams
Year 5 teacher