The Ceramic Erasmus Dragon Mural

In the autumn of 2018, contemporary visual arts organisation, Meadow Arts funded creative practitioner  Fliss O’Neill to work with the school under their Meadow Arts Inspire Programme. The engagement project explored the subject of mythology. Although a separate project, it was recognised that the residency might also act as inspiration for a wider village project centred on the local legend of The Mordiford Dragon. Potter and Ceramicist Fliss O’Neill worked with Year 3 and some Year 5 pupils around the theme of Dragons, local and European reflecting the school’s involvement in the Erasmus Exchange Project.

The Erasmus dragon is formed from the shapes of different European countries set into giant clay tiles. The children learned about myths and legends from Sicily, Turkey, Spain, Poland and Portugal in addition to England. Each country shape is identified by name using impressed pasta letters and inscribed with the children’s illustrated drawings depicting images that reference the myths and folktales explored from each country. This in turn creates the shape of the Dragon, so starting from the head; Sicily – the myth of Odysseus and the Cyclops (depicted as the eye), Turkey – the legend of Kiz Kulesi Tower (depicted as a snake in a basket of grapes), Spain, St George and the Dragon  (depicted by a maiden) , Poland – Wawel the dragon of Krakow (depicted by  a cave beneath a castle) and Portugal – the Miracle of the Roses (depicted by a rose). The legs and feet are represented by two English legends – a knight representing St George, and the woods with a cider barrel, a reference to the local Mordiford Dragon legend.

The mural comprises the Dragon’s body surrounded by raised textured shapes that describe  ‘pointy scales’, ‘leathery wings’, ‘sharp spikes’, ‘licking flames’, ‘curly smoke’, ‘spiky claws and other textured surfaces; the clay having been imprinted using natural materials collected from a walk to Mordiford woods, ‘home’ of the local dragon. These areas were then glazed with bright colours to enhance the descriptive features. Finally the illustrated legends were stained with a ceramic oxide to enhance the linear quality of the artwork.

Additionally, each pupil completed and received a Discovery Arts Award – a nationally recognised qualification in the arts for children and young people.

The mural can be seen on the outside wall of the school next to the main entrance.