Community Art Project Takes Flight

Local artist Penny Phillips, from St Peter’s School, York, is collaborating with York Minster on an inspiring community art project. 

Families, children and schools across York are invited to participate in the Kibo Cranes project, which will see hundreds of paper cranes displayed in the central crossing of York Minster as part of a summer exhibition. 

The Kibo Cranes exhibition is inspired by the Japanese tradition of creating paper cranes as a sign of hope or ‘kibō’, and children are encouraged to make origami cranes to express their feelings about the last year.  

Penny Phillips, Ceramics Tutor at St Peter’s School, York, said: “In Japan, cranes symbolise health and a thousand years of long life. A thousand origami paper cranes are often given to a person who is ill, to wish for their recovery. 

“The pandemic has made the last year difficult in all sorts of ways and we hope this exhibition will encourage everyone but particularly children to share their thoughts and feelings about the last year and their hopes for the future.” 

The cranes can be made with traditional origami paper, ordinary coloured or plan paper, newspaper or any other material that keeps its shape when folded. Children are invited to draw on their cranes, write a wish, message, story, poem, their name or leave them blank.  

Full instructions are available on the York Minster website and cranes should be delivered to The Old Palace at York Minster or the Art Department at St Peter’s School.  

Visit the York Minster website to find out more.