Bridgetown Primary School students team up with local artist Alicia Rogerson to paint an 18m mural

Bridgetown Primary School students have teamed up with a local artist to revitalise a shared space in the heart of the school.

Award-winning WA children’s book illustrator, artist and creator Alicia Rogerson spent five days at Bridgetown Primary School where she worked with students from Year 1 to 6 to paint an 18m tall mural on a bare brick wall in the undercover area.

Ms Rogerson said the collaboration between herself and the students was a fantastic idea to transform the space and came about after she did a presentation at the school about the illustrations within her books.

“They decided they loved the nature theme and wanted to transfer it on to the wall,” she said.

“It’s a collaboration with the kids so they’ve directed me what to do and what to put on it and they’ve added their drawings amongst mine, so we’ve worked as a team.

“It’s completely changed the space.”

Ms Rogerson said the wall featured four endangered animals of the Warren-Blackwood region, including the numbat, the wooylie, the Carnaby’s black cockatoo and the Baudin’s black cockatoo.

Deputy principal Tammy Beswick said the mural was a continuation of Book Week funded by the BPS Parents and Citizens’ Association and encouraged the students’ creativity and expression.

“It is a representation of our school values — respect, responsibility, honesty, commitment, self-discipline, cooperation and acceptance — and we couldn’t be prouder,” she said.

“Watching the students collaborate and guide each other was wonderful,” she said.

“Their involvement makes it meaningful and they enjoyed it so much.”

Ms Beswick said the mural had a beautiful natural colour scheme highlighting the beauty of the school grounds.