What Is Your Class’s Vision Of Liverpool – ‘The Pool Of Life’?

Merseyside children compete to paint their own Jungian dream vision

He felt himself flying over the city, in the centre of which appeared a bright and shimmering pool of light. From the island in the centre of the pool grew a huge magnolia tree. The branches of the tree stretched across the city, with fragrant flowers dropping petals onto the ground and the roots spread deep underneath, drawing creative energy from the earth for the people of Liverpool.

Looking at this sight “of unearthly beauty,” he realised at once that “Liverpool was The Pool of Life.”

In 1927, the Swiss psychologist and explorer of the unconscious Carl Jung, dreamt he went to Liverpool - an experience he summed up in his dream-diary as revealing to him that the great port was no less than “the pool of life; it makes to live”.

Now we, not-for-profit organisation A Quiet Place, an organisation that provides well-being programmes for individuals, groups and communities, has launched a competition to celebrate Jung’s vision of Liverpool – and we want your school to take part!

We are inviting primary schools across Merseyside to enter a free artcompetition to create a piece of art inspired by Jung’s striking night vision of the city. Children are being asked to think about what ‘Liverpool is The Pool of Life’ means to them, and then create a collage, drawing, or painting, to best represent this. Each school can submit up to three individual or class entries. 

Winning schools will have the chance to win some valuable well-being resources and training, plus book tokens, plus attend an awards ceremony on Saturday 30th March; prizes will be presented by Roger Phillips (BBC Radio Merseyside).

A selection of 30 pieces of pupils’ work will be short-listed and displayed at a public gallery space.

The art competition is, we feel, very appropriate as a way both of responding to Jung’s dream and as expressive of the group’s aims of developing individuals’ sense of personal well being. (It’s worth remembering that Jung himself founded the whole idea that Art can be used as therapy.)

To enter, schools must first register their interest by sending their details to A Quiet Place by Friday 9th March 2012; please send your school’s name, name of Headteacher, telephone number, a direct email address and postal address. You can also contact us by post (26 Hope Street, L1 9BX), fax us on (0151) 703 9207 or email us at karen@aquietplace.co.uk.

The competition prizes are:

1st Prize A Quiet Place® Self Management Programme for your school worth £1,000, including resources and training plus a £20 book token for the individual (or class if preferred)

2nd Prize: An AQP Creative Class Workshop. plus a £15 book token

3rd Prize: An AQP relaxation kit of oils & music, plus a £10 book token

Remember completed pieces of artwork must be received no later than Friday 16th March, 2012. Good luck –  and be inspired!

A Quiet Place – finding funds for improvement

AQP, like most organisations in this time of recession, realise that it's becoming more and more difficult for clients to offer any services that aren't directly funded or paid for at point of delivery, even though they offer evidence of improvement in learning, behaviour and attendance for children and young people. We want to be able to help clients think more creatively about this - so that lack of funding to set up AQP ceases to be a barrier. AQP now has access to a new funding model which uses the rules which govern corporate tax to support the development of AQP Environment. It works by linking organisations within a geographical locality, with a "sponsor" corporate company, brokered by AQP, which helps to fund the capital aspects of the AQP environment. The sponsoring company benefits by knowing the support it is giving is going directly to the families of employees, and the organisation benefitting can evidence real results with children and young people who may well be future employees. AQP now want to see if this way of working can be applied to developing Social Impact Bonds to benefit a wider community.