Children at St Clement's Primary School in Worcester have been busy making giant fish to form part of a huge parade through the City celebrating World Fish Migration Day.
Pupils have been working with the Fetch Theatre Company to construct fish models, which will be carried through the City Centre on Saturday, April 21st.
It is part of a community engagement initiative, known as The Wishing Fish, being delivered by the University of Worcester on behalf of the Severn Rivers Trust, as part of the Unlocking the Severn Project.
Hundreds of children across three local schools Cranham, Northwick and St Clement's - have been taking part in arts, dance and storytelling activities and there will be a number of community events taking place at The Hive during the Easter holidays for families to get involved. These include an arts workshop on Tuesday, April 10th, dance workshops, animation workshops and storytelling sessions on Friday, April 13th followed by more dance and storytelling on Saturday, April 14th. All activities are free to attend and those taking part will be invited to join the procession through Worcester City Centre on Saturday, April 21st, which will culminate in a picnic at the University's City Campus. Tickets for events can be booked online through The Hive website.
The Wishing Fish is inspired by stories from many indigenous populations in which fish are celebrated as spiritual creatures, able to grant wishes.
It is part of the Unlocking the Severn Project, which will re-open the River Severn and its major tributaries for all species of fish, many of which now struggle to reach areas they could before the installation of weirs in the 1800s, and so their populations have dwindled.
Wishing Fish Project Manager, Steve Boffy, said: "The children at the schools we have been working with have created some fantastic pieces of artwork, dances and stories, which will be shared on April 21st, marking World Fish Migration Day. This project is all about engaging the community with the Unlocking the Severn Project, which is a major initiative, so important to our region.
"We would love the community to really get involved by creating their own artwork, or sharing their own stories about fish and the rivers that are central to this area."