Inspired by Italian artist Giovanni Anselmo’s exhibition, Where the stars are coming one span closer… at Ikon in February 2005, a group of pupils from St. John’s Church of England Primary School in Ladywood, Birmingham were led by artists Alisha Miller and Spencer Jenkins to produce work for their own exhibition.

Anselmo is interested in exploring the properties of ‘poor’ or traditional materials including earth and stone to create work that also incorporates physical forces such as tension and gravity. The pupils experimented with similar materials, working with the artists over seven days. Together, they made sculptures using willow, stones and brussel sprouts! The project followed and responded to the pupils’ interests, building their confidence and finally resulting in their own exhibition at Ikon in March 2005.