You & I – Community Clay Project

In celebration of the landmark Stockton Waterfront urban park redevelopment, Yarm School is proud to lead the ‘You and I’ Community Clay Project. This ambitious initiative has brought together over 1,000 schoolchildren from across the Borough to create a unique, temporary art installation that celebrates the next generation of Stockton-on-Tees.

Inspired by Middlesbrough-born artist Mackenzie Thorpe, and supported by Jacksons Law, each child has sculpted a figure of themselves holding a heart or an object of personal significance. This project is a moving representation of our local youth, forging a lasting connection between the new urban park and the children who will grow up using this vibrant space.

Workshops

Throughout the 2024/5 and 2025/6 academic years, Year 4, 5 and 6 pupils from approximately 30 primary schools across the Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council area have participated in hands-on workshops. These sessions were led by Yarm Prep School’s Art Lead, Mrs Rachel Shepherd, and Yorkshire-based artist Jessica Jenyns.

With creative subjects often facing time and economic constraints, these workshops provided a vital opportunity for pupils to develop skills-based learning and explore their creativity. The resulting figures – each standing between 15cm and 30cm – retain the natural, earthy tones of the various clays used, showcasing the beauty of the raw materials.

Final Installation:
Saturday, 20th June 2026 (Armed Forces Day) until 4pm Sunday, 21st June

The project will culminate in a striking, two-day exhibition on The Oval Lawn at the Stockton Waterfront urban park. We are delighted to announce that this showcase will take place during the Borough’s Armed Forces Day celebrations – the first event to be celebrated in the new urban park.

The installation, titled ‘You and I’, explores universal themes of connection, individual identity, and the journey of growing up. It echoes the iconic text that has overlooked Stockton’s riverside for years:

“All the rivers flow into the sea, yet the sea is not full,” and “We are waves of the same sea, leaves of the same tree, flowers of the same garden.”

Supported by a professional curation and events team from Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council, the day offers a space for the participating children, their families, and the wider community to celebrate the pupils’ achievements and witness the collective impact of 1,000 individual stories standing together.

Digital Gallery

To ensure a permanent record of this significant community effort, a Digital Gallery has been created, and will be available here soon. The archive serves as a lasting legacy of the project, documenting every sculpture and ensuring that each child has a digital keepsake of their contribution to Stockton’s cultural history.

The Schools Involved

Huge thanks to staff and pupils at all the schools involved – we hope you enjoy seeing your models on display.

Barley Fields Primary School
Egglescliffe CE Primary School
Harewood Primary School
Holy Trinity Rosehill Primary School
Kirklevington Primary School
Layfield Primary School
Mill Lane Primary School
Oxbridge Lane Primary School
Preston Primary School
St Bede’s Catholic Academy
St Francis of Assisi Primary School
St Gregory’s Primary School
St Paul’s Catholic Primary
The Links Primary School
The Village Primary School
Whinstone Primary School
Wolviston Primary School
Yarm Preparatory School
Yarm Primary School