Pupils of Milton Keynes school adopt endangered tiger as part of National Gallery art programme

Their work was chosen above entries from 300 other schools which took part in the Take One Picture project, a national programme for primary school which aims to inspire a lifelong love of art and learning.

The school focused on the painting ‘Surprised’ by Henri Rousseau, which features a tiger in the jungle. The pupils were drawn to the tiger’s worried expression and wondered if he was in danger from poachers. The children researched the endangerment of tigers and their habitat through deforestation and wrote speeches to persuade people to save the world’s tigers.

Reflecting on the class’s adoption of a tiger through a conservation charity, one child said, ‘I felt so proud that we could help out animals in the rainforest’, while another said ‘the project has made me more interested in and appreciative of art’.

A spokesperson for Langland Community School, said: “Out of hundreds of schools taking part in the project, Langland’s work has been chosen to be displayed in an exhibition at the gallery this summer. We are so proud of them and know the children are so grateful to have been part of such an amazing experience.”

The National Gallery will showcase the children’s artworks in the annual Take One Picture exhibition over the summer. The exhibition space takes the display outside the walls of the Gallery and into Trafalgar Square, running alongside Summer on the Square, creating the Free Festival of Art, made by children for children.

The programme, inviting primary school children across the country to focus on one painting from the collection and respond creatively, has been running for 30 years.

Karen Eslea, Head of Learning and National Programmes at the National Gallery, said: “Both 'Take One Picture' and 'Summer on the Square' are brilliant ways for us to reach children and help them develop an early knowledge and curiosity around art and give them a sense of ownership of the Gallery. We’re delighted to be bringing this year’s exhibition out onto Trafalgar Square and it’s been amazing to see the different things that have inspired children this year, from the animals’ environments to the physical feel of the foliage.”