An art and environmental education project to teach species knowledge
The «TIER Art» project is an art education programme for school classes from 3rd to 6th grade. It aims to awaken a sense of wonder about animals from different groups and to promote an appreciation of wild animals.
The animals are brought to life through animal mask performances, either in the school auditorium or outdoors in the neighbourhood. The children learn about native wildlife species through dialogue, visual design, movement and fact quizzes in a fun way.
The project aims to impart animal knowledge, promote interest and identification with animals and strengthen empathy. Pupils should be able to observe and identify species in their own environment in order to develop a deeper understanding of natural diversity and ecological relationships.
For the project, 21 animal species were selected from the six taxonomic classes (mammals, amphibians, reptiles, birds, fish and insects). These are either species that are frequently found in the children’s environment and can therefore be discovered in their own living environment, or species that have a particular fascination for humans.
The selected animals include the beaver, red deer, greater horseshoe bat, brown bear, lynx, wolf, barn swallow, starling, blue tit, common raven, grey heron, red kite, barn owl, eel, Glöggli frog, grass snake, fire salamander, firefly, stag beetle, dragonfly(s) and honeybee.
«TIER Art» will start in mid-October 2024. I’m looking forward to visiting schools in the canton of Bern and throughout Switzerland with it.
What makes TIER Art special
What makes the «TIER Art» project so special is its holistic and experience-orientated approach to nature and environmental education. It enables pupils to further develop their cognitive, aesthetic, emotional and social skills and develop a deeper understanding of biodiversity and the protection of nature. In this way, the project fulfils several learning objectives of the «Curriculum21».
The project places particular emphasis on the aesthetics of the masks, which feature anatomically and zoologically correct details in their sculptural realisation. TIER Art» has various partners from the fields of biology (SCNAT, Vetsuisse) and education (Tierpark Bern) who are advising on the development process and the content of the project to ensure that all animal-specific content is taught correctly.
The project is designed for longevity. The masks will be used in a variety of ways in environmental education over the coming years and decades.
Red kite (Milvus milvus) 
I need your support for this
I need your support for the start and development phase of «TIER Art».
The crowdfunding is intended to cover the costs for the elaborate design of the animal masks, the associated costumes, the composition of the music for the performances and the development of the animal mask dance theatre pieces that will be created over the next few months. It will also cover the costs of materials, room hire and the wages of the artists involved.
Your support is crucial to making this special project a reality and making a unique contribution to nature and environmental education.
Thank you for your support!
