Children find creative inspiration for WA Day

A group of Karratha primary school children have made their mark on WA Day after working with an author and illustrator to depict their favourite place in WA.

Fremantle-based education body The Literature Centre, author Deb Fitzpatrick and author-illustrator Frané Lessac ran a specialist morning workshop last week to help 60 selected Year 6 students from Baynton West, Karratha, Millars Well, Tambrey and Pegs Creek Primary schools create a story and picture of their top WA place.

Copies of their creations will be displayed at the main WA Day expo at the Fremantle Esplanade on June 6.

The Literature Centre director Lesley Reece said she enjoyed giving children in regional WA the opportunity to work with authors and illustrators one-on-one.

“I think it’s very empowering for these children to come and to see they actually can produce a quality piece of writing and a quality piece of art in such a short time,” she said.

“It’s all about showing young people what they’re capable of.

“There were some children here today who wrote stuff, who painted, who were just amazed at what they did. A couple of them said ‘I didn’t know I could write like this’, and that’s thrilling.”

The Karratha workshop was part of a series, also including Katanning and Perth, run by the Literature Centre and Department of Education on behalf of the Celebrate WA campaign.

Mrs Lessac said she had been impressed at how engaged the Karratha students had been.

“They had the confidence to paint and draw as they felt,” she said.