Fiona Grady is Lead Artist for River of Hope in Newham, London.
The Thames Festival Team spoke to writer Lisbeth Thalberg:
Announcing the creative arts-based learning project River of Hope, spearheaded by the Thames Festival Trust, will partner with further festivals and organisations this year to allow more young people to express their feelings about the climate crisis. River of Hope provides an amazing opportunity to connect with the local environment; young people take part in an out-of-school river visit and then create artworks under the guidance of inspirational professional artists. The project also benefits teachers by providing them with artist professional development and access to online resources to encourage them to include climate change topics within their curriculum teaching.
In 2024, the project will directly engage over 3,500 young people nationally and internationally. The magnificent artwork and poetry created by the young people can be viewed online as part of an interactive gallery as well as in person at various festivals and events. From 2023 to 2025, River of Hope will work in 7 UK regions: Leeds, Newham (London), Tees Valley, Norfolk, Norwich, Dorset and Plymouth, and also in France (Rouen) and Ethiopia (Addis Ababa and Arba Minch).
Kate Forde, Head of Education and Engagement at Thames Festival Trust, comments, River of Hope has given teachers and young people the opportunity to embark on a creative journey where they have been immersed in nature and have been able to express themselves through new artistic processes. It has pushed teachers out of their comfort zone and as result provided some lovely surprises! We hope that this project has given them a glimpse of how powerful the arts can be at connecting us to other cultures and delivering important messages about climate change and the future of our planet.