Creation – Life in the Making was an interdisciplinary school project that invited pupils to explore the theme of 'Heavens and the Earth' through two interconnected strands: the Cosmos and the Microcosmos. Combining art and science, the project encouraged curiosity about both the immense scale of the universe and the hidden worlds revealed through the microscope.
The Cosmos strand introduced pupils to NASA's HARP Citizen Science programme, exploring Sounds of Spacealongside astronomical imagery from the Hubble Space Telescope. Through listening, observation, and discussion, pupils responded creatively by producing sculptures, drawings, and poetry inspired by the dynamic processes of the universe. The project also welcomed guest artists who led workshops exploring 'Sound from Earth', using an extraordinary collection of acoustic instruments from around the world, culminating in the creation of a Morse code message.
The Microcosmos strand invited pupils to collect water samples from the school pond and investigate them under the microscope, discovering diatoms and other microorganisms. These observations inspired a series of suspended sculptures and paintings, revealing the hidden beauty and complexity of microscopic life.
Together, the two strands encouraged pupils to consider the remarkable connections between the cosmic and the microscopic, demonstrating how art and science can deepen our understanding of the world across vastly different scales.
COSMIC EXPLORERS
Imagery from the presentation to pupils on space exploration and NASA's Citizen Science progrmme about the sound of planets
Cosmic Explorers Exhibition
Bridging Art and Science
Explorers exhibition and science workshops in space and microscopy
Drum workshop with David Baker sending a message to space
MICROCOSMOS
off to the school pond to hunt for diatoms!
Broughton-in-Furness and Thwaites Primary Schools
I joined NASA's Citizen Scientist Project HARP and introduced Primary school pupils to the programme. This was also part of my research. In contacting the HARP team by email I was delighted to receive a reply that they would be happy to Skype for Q&A.
With a little training, a human volunteer can detect meaningful sounds that a computer doesn't yet know how to search for, and you just may find something no one has heard or seen before!
Listen and analyze the sound samples online, then submit your findings for scientists to analyze and verify.
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