This collaborative art project was co-created by a group of children from CPE Villeneuve, their educators, and Marie Samuel. Drawing inspiration from the elements of nature in a park they visited daily, the participants explored plant-based dyeing and textile printing to create a series of gratitude flags for nature.
The participants collected elements from nature during their visits to the park.
During a co-creation session, the children, Marie Samuel, and the educators explored the park’s color palette through plant-based dyeing. The children experimented with textile printing and stamping to decorate the flags that had been dyed with elements from nature. The project aimed to raise awareness of the park’s significance as a natural space and a living environment to be protected. It evolved over the days into a collective, multifaceted expression, a genuine call to celebrate living together.
The project’s form draws inspiration from Tibetan prayer flags, small colored and printed pieces of fabric hung outdoors. Traditionally, prayer flags are used to promote peace and compassion. Tibetans use these flags so that the wind carries wishes and positive emotions all around the world.
After dyeing and decorating the fabrics, the participants performed a flag-hanging ceremony. A poem composed by the children and recited by Marie Samuel during the hanging allowed them a moment of reflection to remember how beautiful and important nature is, and that everyone must protect and express gratitude for it. The flags are assembled and hung on the fences surrounding the park. The process also inspired the children to compose and perform a collective song.
