Life under UCL microscope inspires schoolchildren’s art

Schoolchildren were inspired by tiny microbes they?d seen in a UCL lab to create artwork on display in the grounds of the Royal Free hospital. The youngsters aged five to 10 created an array of colours, shapes and patterns after seeing bacteria and fungi under a microscope at their school and during a visit to the UCL laboratory. The children's collages were printed onto 20 giant 'laboratory slides' made of perspex and displayed in the Royal Free's Heath Strange Garden. The science and education project involved the Royal Free, UCL and South Haringay Junior School, and was funded by the Wellcome Trust. Parents took part in the project as part of the school's Family Learning Group, which encourages families to become active in their children's learning. Cheryl James, a community artist who came up with the idea for the project, said: 'It got the children finding out about microbiology in a fun and creative way. 'In the lab, the children took swabs from their mouths and looked at the microbes under a microscope.