Otter name: Monty
Artist: Bourton Meadow Academy
Sponsor: Bucks Radio
Bourton Meadow Academy: “There was much excitement when we received our otter and decisions turned to how it should be decorated. Many suggestions were submitted but we decided to settle on a doodle design in the style of Mr Doodle. We felt this would allow the children maximum range of creativity whilst have a theme running throughout all the designs. We liked the idea of lots of individual ideas being knitted together through the use of simple black lines.
The children were introduced to the work of Mr Doodle and asked to design their own doodle idea to be included on the otter. We wanted the children to be able to express their own creativity so left the theme quite open. Initially, we had ideas come in that were quite animal based and you’ll see some designs around Disney too.
After the first few designs were carefully positioned on the otter, more children felt inspired to design their contributions and then the ideas took more of an abstract, geometric path, with even some being an idea within another idea!
It was so lovely to see the children inspired by each other and building upon, and weaving their designs into the patchwork of their classmates’. In total 35 children participated in designing artwork for this project and they are very excited to see it display in Buckingham this summer.”
Bucks Radio: “Bucks Radio is the new sound of Buckinghamshire, aiming to bring local radio back to the county. We’ve been overwhelmed by the support we’ve received so far, and are looking forward to becoming a part of Bucks life. Between them, our team have been working, and broadcasting, in the area for over 40 years, so we understand what matters to you.
Right now we’re broadcasting online, via smart speakers and app, meaning you can take us with you wherever you go. We have the latest news, weather and travel, and loads of community information, including our free What’s On Guide and features like Charity Friday. We’re supporting local businesses, and have a variety of advertising and sponsorship packages available, and are happy to talk about bespoke competitions and partnerships.
We are looking forward to the relaxation of current restrictions so that we can get out and about in the local community again.”
Location: Finca El Monte is located in a part of town known as ‘The Hidden Quarter’. They collaborate with various Fairtrade Co-operatives around the world to bring you beautiful, colourful handcrafted textiles, jewellery, bags and accessories, hand-blown glassware, hand-painted tiles, carved wood and more. They buy only from companies that pay fair wages and provide safe working conditions for their workers. Most also pay fees for their worker’s children to go to school, and health insurance for their whole family. In the developing world, this is invaluable for building the communities of the future. So, by buying from Finca El Monte you are helping to keep age-old crafts alive and making a brighter, more colourful world for us all.