How art can save chimps
Our Head of Education Laura Eastwood reports on a remarkable cross-nation art project, raising awareness of the importance of chimpanzee conservation.
Max the orphaned chimp at LCRP (c) Jenny Desmond
Chimpanzees are amazing! As ‘gardeners of the forest’, these intelligent and social animals play a pivotal role in supporting their forest home – by eating fruit they disperse seeds to help maintain their habitat. Yet chimpanzees are also in trouble and Born Free is working hard to support their rescue and conservation.
Head of Education, Laura Eastwood
Threatened by habitat loss, conflict with people, consumption of ape bushmeat and the illegal trade in infant chimps as pets, all four subspecies of chimpanzees face rapidly declining population numbers. They need our help. This is why our colleagues at Drawing for the Planet, in partnership with Born Free and our friends at Liberia Chimpanzee Rescue & Protection, have created the engaging Chimpanzee Community project and exhibition.
This project raises awareness of endangered chimpanzees, and Liberia Chimpanzee Rescue & Protection’s vital work caring for over one hundred critically endangered western chimpanzees, orphaned by the illegal bushmeat and pet trades. These orphans include Mary Beauty and Simao, given new lives with Born Free’s help, and the incredible organisation is a previous winner of our prestigious McKenna-Travers Award for Compassionate Conservation.
Led by Jane Lee McCracken, artist and founder of Drawing for the Planet, over 500 children from the UK, the USA and Liberia participated in workshops organised by Jane, Born Free and Liberia Chimpanzee Rescue & Protection. The children learned about chimpanzees while creating Biro drawings of rescued individuals.
Jane says: “Passion for art, education and conservation of nature is at the beating heart of this project. It has been a privilege to work with children from three continents and such impactful partners who have illuminated a generation about how important chimpanzees are to humanity. To see the joy on children’s faces as they drew our relatives was priceless – I am so proud of what we have achieved.”
You can get involved!
Come and visit the Chimpanzee Community exhibition:
Venue: Queen’s Hall Arts Centre, Northumberland
Date: 25th October – 22nd November 2024
The Chimpanzee Community exhibition features artwork by children from Belsay School and Ponteland Primary School (UK), Top of the World Elementary School and El Morro Elementary School (USA) and Charlesville, SNAFU Dock, and Gbor Korsein public schools in Liberia. It also includes Jane Lee McCracken’s original drawing, Gardener of the Forest, and photos of rescued chimpanzees by Jenny Desmond, founder of Liberia Chimpanzee Rescue & Protection.
Download our FREE Chimpanzee Community teaching resources and get your students involved:
To ensure that the legacy of this project continues beyond this amazing exhibition of children’s art, Born Free led the creation of a teacher/home educator resource to provide an opportunity for other children aged 7-11 years, wherever they are, to get involved.
Find out more about the Chimpanzee Community partners:
DRAWING FOR THE PLANET Liberia Chimpanzee Rescue & Protection
CHIMPANZEE COMMUNITY PROJECT GALLERY
Montage of chimpanzee artwork featuring drawings by UK, USA and Liberian children.
Gardener of the Forest, by Jane Lee McCracken.
Max, an orphan chimpanzee cared for by Liberia Chimpanzee Rescue and Protection.
A young artist with their work.
A young artist with their work.
Belsay School children with Jane Lee McCracken.
Laura Eastwood and Jenny Desmond.
Jenny Desmond with young Liberian artists.
Jane Lee McCracken with young Liberian artist.
Young artists in Liberia.
Jane Lee McCracken and Jenny Desmond at Gbor Kersein Public School, Liberia.
Jane Lee McCracken with young artists in Liberia.
Grace Kotee Zansi Gbor Korsein delivers a Public School workshop in Liberia
Allen Gweh SNAFU Dock School workshop
Charlesville Public School workshop, with the team
Jane Lee McCracken, Jenny Desmond, Rob Lee and Grace Kotee Sansi Gbor with pupils from Kersein Public School, Liberia.
Rob Lee during the SNAFU Dock School workshop, LIberia
