Leeds Hippo Project
This project was organised by the University of Leeds and funded by the HLF. It was designed to encourage local families to engage in this little known Leeds treasure. Students explored global issues such as environmental change, sustainability and the carbon footprint. It also supported student’s aspirations for Higher Education later on in their academic life.
The Hippo bones were discovered in the Leeds area in 1854, and will be on display for the first time at the new Leeds Museum. The bones are at least 120,000 years old!
The project partners included:
- Four local primary schools: Hollybush, Raynville, Ingram Road and Wykebeck.
- Students from the school of geography.
- Education staff from the Leeds Museum service
- Royal Armouries education team.
Our contribution to the project was to design and provide art workshops. In which 2-D and 3-D art was created using sustainable materials the students had collected i.e. junk mail or old clothing.
The students created felt hippos, paper beads, and hippo sculptures with decoration inspired by the work of local artist’s David Hockney and John Atkinson Grimshaw.
Links
www.leeds.gov.uk/museumsandgalleries
www.geog.leeds.ac.uk/groups/hippo
Why not download our worksheet on ‘How to make a Scrapapotamus’ and try it for yourself?
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