An exhibition of artwork created by children and young people has gone on show at Highcross Leicester.
The ‘My Books, My Story’ pop-up gallery has been created and co-curated by more than 50 children and young people aged between four and 18, who are in the care of Leicestershire County Council.
The exhibition – and the year-long project which led up to it – celebrates the importance of reading for pleasure and its social and emotional impact with the participation team which devised it seeing how books and stories have helped the youngsters with problem solving, making life choices, role-model development, empathy, and relationships at home
Each of the youngsters chose a book they enjoyed and then created an artwork inspired by it. Artworks produced include a clay Thomas the Tank Engine, inspired by the Rev. W Awdry books, a silhouette collage inspired by Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland and a pencil portrait inspired by The Red Queen, by Victoria Aveyard.
Councillor Christine Radford, cabinet member for heritage, leisure and arts, said: “This inspiring project has given children and young people in care a chance to share their creativity with a wide audience and I am delighted that so many have been able to create such wonderful works of art. Hopefully, it will also engage and inspire children, young people and adults to read for pleasure.”
Councillor Deborah Taylor, cabinet member for children and family services, said: “This exhibition is a wonderful celebration of the talents of so many of the children and young people in our care. They have worked so hard creativity and I hope that many people coming to visit this exhibition will see how creative and brilliant our children in care can be.
“We are always looking for new foster carers to help children and young people to grow and develop to their full potential.”
The ‘My Books, My Story’ exhibition will run at the former EE store in the Upper Mall, opposite the Apple store, from today (March 30) until April 24, with an official launch on Saturday, April 2.
More information on the My Books, My Story project can be found at www.cultureleicestershire.co.uk/projects/my-books-my-story
