Similarities and differences in collecting and storing food

In Mid November 2010 the Culture of the Countryside team were at Nacton CEVC school on the outskirts of Ipswich. Planning discussions with teaching staff had focused upon the school's interest in food. The school has many interests and achievements in this area, including two thriving allotment areas, healthy school and food for all awards and recent Harvest celebrations. The day began with a handling session of food related objects from Papua New Guinea which led to drawings, discussions and drama exploring the idea of similarities and differences in collecting and storing food. Artist Bryony Graham developed the new realisations of how food in Papua New Guinea is stored in bags, suspended on carved wooden food hooks. She led an afternoon session in which the pupils designed and made individual food storage bags. A collaborative cane and string tripod structure was then constructed by all and the food bags hung in decorative style for the end of the day assembly. Parents and carers had been invited by the school to look at the world art objects and share in the pupils' reports of the day.