Schoolchildren in Foleshill have been set some half-term homework with a difference – they are being asked to spread kindness and love as part of a pilot project that will eventually be rolled out across the whole city.
Coventry City of Culture Trust has launched the Passports of Kindness initiative which challenges schoolchildren aged between seven and 11 to complete ten acts of kindness to help bring happiness and joy to those around them and reflect on their actions.
A colourful passport and sticker set has been designed by Coventry artist Matt Hesling-Gibson for the children to record their acts and show examples of caring, collaboration, activism or ambition.
The project is being piloted during February half term by children from Broad Heath and Edgewick Community Primary Schools, in Foleshill, as part of Love Coventry Week, and will eventually spread across the whole of the city.
Coventry City of Culture Trust’s Collaborative City Producer, Navkiran Mann, is behind the initiative, and worked with Arts Education Manager Andy Reeves and the schools to devise the concept.
Children will use their creativity and imagination to complete the challenges, which could include anything from writing a kind note to someone, to creating a poem or piece of artwork to share happiness.
Navkiran said: “We wanted to create a project to celebrate the unity in our diversity, and working in Foleshill there is a lot of kindness to celebrate, especially during lockdown where communities have pulled together in wonderful and self-sacrificial ways to love and care for one another.
“I hope it will inspire and bring joy to the children and their families during lockdown. I can’t wait to read their poems, see their drawings and all the creative ways they find to be kind.”
Ruth Rock, learning mentor at Edgewick Community Primary, said: “We are really excited to be taking part in the Passports of Kindness project, to introduce our children to Coventry City of Culture and to encourage them to use their creativity to promote kindness throughout their community.
“During these unprecedented times, it is more important than ever for us to have a way to help promote the positive wellbeing of our children and to remind everyone how much good can come from being creative, especially with our kindness.”
Mitesh Patel, teacher at Broad Heath Primary, said: “It was great hearing from Navkiran to ask if we would support this amazing project. As soon as she described this opportunity, we immediately agreed!
“Kindness is one of our school values and I know our children will have many great and creative ideas to make this project come alive. Our children will certainly enjoy celebrating Coventry and how every person can contribute to be an excellent Coventrian!”
The designer of the passports, Matt Helsing-Gibson, said: “I loved designing the Passports of Kindness for this exciting new initiative. It has been amazing to use my design skills to help young children become more fluent in acts of kindness. And I’m really believing that each child that takes part would continue to look for small opportunities to love without condition, even after their passports have been filled with stickers."
Chenine Bhathena, Creative Director of Coventry City of Culture Trust, said: “Over the past 12 months we have really seen how small acts of creativity and kindness have made such a big difference to the lives of our friends, families, neighbours and even to those we don’t know.
“We are asking children to find their inner creativity to not only dream up acts of kindness, but to consider how it makes them, and those around them, feel and how these moments of care brighten up a person’s life.
“I can’t wait to see how the schoolchildren of Broad Heath and Edgewick Community Primary Schools spread kindness during half-term. I have no doubt it will bring a huge amount of joy to people in these challenging times.”