This year, the Education Team are celebrating individuals and groups who are ‘Gamechangers’. The foundational idea is that we can all be Gamechangers, using our God-given gifts and skills for the good and benefit of individuals, families, local communities and society at large. The idea is that by working together we can achieve great things, living out our Christian commitment to serve the common good and to be courageous advocates for Christ.
As part of this ‘Gamechangers’ Education Project, at this year’s Year 6 Leavers’ Service at Winchester Cathedral in June, an amazing enhancement of the Gormley statue ‘Sound II’ will be created in the Cathedral crypt! The Education Team has asked pupils in schools, as well as other young people in our diocese, to create sculptures based on the game-changing creativity of Antony Gormley, who has inspired greater appreciation of public art across our country. Thousands of children will add their own sculptures to the crypt, creating a game-changing art installation!
Several of the young people who took part in creating the sculptures have shared their thoughts below:
St Katharine’s School, Bournemouth
I think it represents how we are all unique but at the same time we are connected. Last year our theme was Ubuntu about how we are globally connected. It shows we are different but connected in the same way. I think if we are all connected we can solve a lot of things. World peace is one but everyone has different ideas. I think Gamechangers is learning about people who are really inspirational and have done great things and it’s inspired a lot of people, including me, to go out and make a change even if it’s something little. It’s going to be great to be in the Cathedral and see everyone there and putting their models together to see all of them together.
Ollie (Aged 11)
I’ve enjoyed that we can realise that we can all be Gamechangers and you don’t have to be someone big or really well known. Our statues are making a mark even if it’s in clay and it reminds us that we can all make a mark in the world. I think seeing them in the Cathedral will feel very inspirational and will change your mindset, seeing how many people can actually join together and be one and be almost like family.
Gracie
I know that a Gamechanger is a person who does something for the world or environment but it doesn’t have to be something big. It can be like donating or helping someone. I’ve learnt that even though I’m a child I can also help the planet and help people like Gamechangers do. I think the statues are little representations of us because we mould them with our hands and they are a reflection of us. I think it means we are all one person and as my headteacher would say we are all the body of Christ because when we all join together we can make a really big difference.
Izzy
Lots of people have become Gamechangers because they have changed our way of living or trying to stop something. We have many Gamechangers in our school. I’ve been campaigning against stopping food waste at school and we have others who are earth ambassadors to protect our earth.
Auby
Saint James Primary, West End, Hants
We’re making sculptures which almost describe us. They are all going to look similar but have different personalities. It’s very connective and when they all come together it’s going to look really beautiful. Game changers is looking at our differences but what happens if we all work together. The fact that you can’t change something if you are one person but if we all work together and try to do things together you can change a lot.
Bella (Aged 11)
The sculptures symbolise coming together to make something bigger because on their own they don’t look like much but then when they come together they will look massive. They’ll be a sea of people all together. I think it will help me and other people realise that if we work together we can do something amazing. It’s making me realise how you can make a difference if you want to.
Isaac (Aged 11)
We’re going to be making clay humans today. I think it will be fun and a good opportunity to be able to have our sculptures as part of a big art piece. It’ll look really nice and its lovely that lots of people have come together as a community to make an art piece for Winchester Cathedral.
Sebi (Aged 11)
Find all the photos from the Gamechangers Education Project on our Flickr page.
