As part of the Barnsley’s Elephants Project in 2021-2022, funded by Arts Council England (National Lottery), our partner Barnsley Museums, collaborated with local artists to create six Elmer Elephant sculptures. All of Barnsley’s Elephants are still on permanent display in the libraries of all principal towns in Barnsley.
Barnsley’s Elephants was inspired by the exhibition, Elmer & Friends – The World of David Mckee, at The Cooper Gallery from Saturday 10 July 2021 to Saturday 18 September 2021. The below video, shows members of Barnsley Museums Learning Team, who delivered four days of story-telling and illustration workshops in year 3 classes at Churchfields Primary School in Cudworth.
Here are some of the stories that show how the Barnsley’s Elephants Project, inspired primary schools, libraries and our partners, to lead community arts projects across Barnsley.
Goldthorpe
A trail of the mini elephants was decorated at the Dearne Community Arts Festival in September 2021 and was in place in shop windows throughout the town in November 2021. The mini elephants then went on display in Goldthorpe Library.
Hoyland
217 children in Hoyland submitted entries to a ‘design an elephant’ competition. A selection of the designs was painted onto ceramic elephants, which created a trail in shop windows throughout the town for the Christmas and New Year holiday period in 2021. Hoyland Library also hosted a display of the entries and ran craft activities during the 2022 February half-term period.
Wombwell
60 year 5 children from Kings Oak Primary School worked with members of the Barnsley Museums Learning Team to design and paint 30 mini elephants for the Wombwell Elephant Trail, which ran through February half-term into March.
The trail also featured a Caravan Gallery elephant in the museum case at Wombwell library and two of the children’s elephants were chosen by their classmates to go on display in The Cooper Gallery for the Caravan Gallery’s Wombwell Pride of Place Project exhibition.
A Barnsley Museums project funded by Arts Council England (National Lottery) and supported by BMHT, Barnsley Libraries and BMBC.
