A collaborative exhibition inspired by flora and fauna. Created by students at Downs View School with Brighton based artists.

The idea for the project came from a proposal community artist Patricia Finnegan and Brighton based Lightbox Architecture put together for a public art fencing structure for a health based building in South Downs. The design of the fence was intended to include input from all of the surrounding community groups and have a visual and educational legacy that all groups could benefit from.

The projects aims were to create an collaborative exhibition and installation that is accessible and inspirational to a wide-ranging audience. The project was begun at Downs View School in Brighton. Downs View is a purpose-built day school for pupils aged 4 to 19 years, who have severe learning difficulties.  Some pupils have additional disabilities such as autism, hearing and/or visual impairment, physical disabilities and challenging behaviour. The workshops were be both creative and educational. We would use the local landscape, wildlife and conservation to inspire the sessions.

The intention of the whole project is to create a stimulating and educational exhibition that has a beneficial contribution to the local community. Housing the exhibition in a contemporary gallery gives the school groups a sense of importance and brings the artwork, produces by the students, to a wider audience. The exhibition was both visually interesting and had a strong sense of audience engagement with the natural environment of the South Downs.