Students at Futures Institute boost wellbeing post-lockdown through nature diaries used in stunning exhibition at Compton Verney

Students at a Banbury secondary school have contributed to a stunning exhibition at Compton Verney through a series of nature diaries.

Year 7 and Year 9 students at Futures Institute, the sister school of Wykham Park Academy, worked directly with artist Rebecca Louise Law, and helped with the final parts of her Seasons art installation.

Compton Verney commissioned Rebecca to create a new and bespoke installation that would inspire visitors to look at and engage with nature.
It is composed of thousands of preserved seasonal flowers and plants, collected by Rebecca throughout 2019 and 2020.

She said: ‘’Since 2019 I have been studying nature daily. Each day is documented through a paper diary, video diary and daily collection of natural collection. Records of my life interwining with the earth. The practice of observing each day with a focus on nature also led to a study of self. I found it impossible to separate the emotional attachment to a day and how I observed nature within that moment.’’

Students at Futures Institute in Banbury worked directly with artist Rebecca Louise Law, and helped with her Compton Verney art installation called Seasons (photo from Compton Verney)

Seasons begins with spring and takes the viewer on a journey through the year ending with winter and a display made using natural materials foraged from the grounds of Compton Verney itself.

The nature diaries produced by the students at Futures have formed part of the Seasons art display and comprise of their thoughts, drawings and any flowers and plants they have preserved. The students spent time at Compton Verney admiring and learning about the exhibition in detail.

Dr Catherine Pickup, director of project based learning at Futures Institute, said the project was important in helping the students connect with nature as they navigated lockdown.

Students at Futures Institute in Banbury worked directly with artist Rebecca Louise Law, and helped with her Compton Verney art installation called Seasons (photo from Compton Verney)

She told the Banbury Guardian: ‘’The project will have helped with boosting the wellbeing of the children as they will have spent time outdoors engaging with nature.
‘’Appreciating the beauty of nature and connecting to the beauty of the environment is very important, more so now than ever.
‘’The exhibition also reminds us of the natural cycle of the seasons and how art and nature co-exist.’’

Students at Futures Institute in Banbury worked directly with artist Rebecca Louise Law, and helped with her Compton Verney art installation called Seasons (photo from Compton Verney)