Schoolchildren of all ages have been inspired by City Park.

Pupils from primary and secondary schools across the district visited the site as work progressed, using the vibrant new feature as a focus for creative projects.

Artwork by hundreds of pupils reflecting their perspectives of the park adorned the atrium at the University of Bradford. The Drawing the City project saw local artist Tim Curtis work with more than 400 children to record the development of the £25 million attraction.

The artwork included a pop-style collage of self-portraits and paintings on tiles representing a 360 degree image of Centenary Square and the City Park taken by photographer John Scurrah, and a ten metre-long drawing, Imagine the Cityscape, created by schoolchildren, civic leaders, architects and civil engineers.

Bradford Council worked with the Schools Linking Network, a national charity which supports schools and other organisations across England to explore identity, diversity, equality and community.

Primary school children helped to create a panorama painting, and pupils from secondary schools experimented with photography, film and audio to capture the city centre in detail.

“The primary purpose was to bring young people together from different areas and ask them what the city centre meant to them,” says Shelagh O’Neill, the Council’s economic development programme manager. “We asked what they thought of it two years ago and, after seeing the changes, how they saw it in the future.”

The project enabled them to explore ideas and meanings in the work of artists, craftspeople and designers and learn about the diverse roles and functions of art, craft and design in the modern world, and in different times and cultures.

The Council produced teaching resource packs, linking learning with the National Curriculum. These show how involvement with the project can help students develop their creativity, learn to make judgements and become actively involved in shaping environments.

“We brought children down to the site as the former police station was demolished, so they could see it close up,” says Shelagh. “We asked the children to think about how a space worked and how they thought people should use it, as well as they type of materials that would be suitable.

“We also looked at the idea of creating a space where all cultures and ages can go, and which does not exclude anyone.”

Pupils have also benefited from finding out about the many different professions working on the project.

Shelagh says: “We wanted to show them the range of careers and opportunities, particularly in engineering. Some youngsters imagine an engineer is involved with things like trains and engines. We showed them the work of acoustic engineers and lighting engineers, as well as civil engineers and architects.”