300 pupils fall in for Terracotta Army

10:14pm Monday 3rd March 2008

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THREE hundred pupils lined up in their school hall and stood like statues to mimic the Chinese Terracotta Army.

The pupils from years three to six at Lammack County Primary School, Lammack Road, Blackburn, created 300 individual masks with the help of Lancashire art consultant Pat Southern.

She was asked to hold a three-day workshop with the children as part of their work on China and Chinese painting and sculpture.

The pupils have taken an interest in the Terracotta Army after the British Museum opened an exhibition last year and retired teacher, Mrs Catherine Webber, came back to the school with some memorabilia after her visit.

Pat brought 300 basic masks and like the Terracotta Army, the children created 300 different faces from papier mache and other materials.

Then yesterday the pupils put on their masks and lined up to experience how the army stands in China.

Headteacher Mary Lewis said: "All 300 children went into the hall and stood like statues to get a feel of what it must be like to be a statue in the Terracotta Army.

"It was quite awe inspiring, life imitating art.

"The three days were wonderful.

"Our children have enjoyed having a leading artists in school to inspire and produce work of a high quality. "