Pupils from Felsted School have assisted with the expansion of a charity art installation of 20,000 glowing lights in the shape of fireflies, each one dedicated to the memory of a loved one, at a hospice in Wiltshire. Visiting on 14 September, the Princess Royal became one of the first people to receive one of the new lights, which was dedicated to her late parents.
Lighting up the grounds of Dorothy House Hospice are 800 fireflies, each made up of 24 fibre optics, which were designed and crafted by artist Bruce Munro with the help of pupils from the independent day and boarding school in north Essex.
‘Bruce is a former student of our school, so when he asked us to work with him to expand the installation so that more people could sponsor a light in a loved one’s memory we were very happy to offer our time,” said Ms Elizabeth Jackson, Head of Art at Felsted.
Alex T-A, a Year 13 pupil at Felsted commented ‘We had to individually construct the fireflies and position them in the wooded grounds, so at night they create a gently illuminated, meandering stream of light. Spending two days carefully fitting fibre optics into the copper structure of each firefly was a brilliant opportunity to learn and gain insight from a professional artist.’
The hospice’s Firefly Woods was originally installed in 2021 and has become a valued space for those who visit Dorothy House Hospice, but the new expansion means it can now be accessed by the wider community.
‘Light is the beginning of life and the end of life, and without light there is no existence,’ said Bruce Munro of the installation. ‘These little fireflies move with the air currents and almost feel as if they have a life within them.’
The Princess Royal toured Firefly Woods as part of her visit to the hospice’s Day Patient Unit, where she met with patients, families, volunteers and staff.
Pupils at Felsted study Art as well as Design Technology and the school offers many opportunities for them to design, develop and manufacture objects with real-world applications.
Felsted School recently won Boarding School of the Year 2023 at the TES Schools Awards in June. Learn more about Felsted’s Art and Design Technology pathways and boarding at one of the upcoming open events: www.felsted.org/opendays.
Categories: Felsted School School News
