With support from The National Heritage Lottery Fund Greenfaulds High School pupils worked with the artists on the project designing and creating the artworks which are now on display inside and outside the school, and also delivering a wider creative programme.

For a brief period in history the Roman Empire ended with the Antonine Wall, that crosses Central Scotland from between the Clyde and the Forth.  The new town Cumbernauld is on the route of the Antonine Wall and marks a vital frontier of the Roman Empire.

The Gaelic and Art & Design Departments at Greenfaulds High School in North Lanarkshire secured £20,000 Heritage Fund support for their heritage project titled Roman Legacy.

The project focused on Roman culture and heritage within the Cumbernauld area. Key heritage sites were Bar Hill Fort and the Antonine Wall – a UNESCO World Heritage site of great historical and cultural significance.

This project successfully engaged the young people and wider audience with their local heritage and new mosaics have been unveiled which recognise, commemorate, and celebrate the impact the Romans have had in Cumbernauld and their presence in Scotland during the second century AD.

Pupils at Greenfaulds High School (GHS) were at the centre of the project but they also made sure there were opportunities for other local young people to get involved. With participants from 3-18 taking part in the project through art, poster design, and creative writing competitions.

GHS Generations ensured older residents of the area also got involved. Working with residents of Carrickstone House Care Home to create entries for the colouring-in competition, and S3 Art and Design pupils created eight large artworks for display at Carrickstone to help engage the residents with the local heritage.

As part of the project the artist Alan Potter worked alongside pupils at Greenfaulds High School to create a series of large-scale mosaics which are now on display within the art and design department and at the entrance to the school, designed with an emphasis on the heritage sites and Roman culture.

Pupils enjoyed learning the art of mosaics, which is a heritage skill, and participated in other arts activities inspired by the Roman presence in Cumbernauld.

Greenfaulds High School Head Teacher Jamie Vaughn-Sharp: “As a school we were absolutely delighted to receive such a fantastic level of support thanks to National Lottery players. The project that our school undertook to celebrate our community’s Roman heritage and the Roman legacy in Cumbernauld is something which has engaged our pupils, their families and the wider community. The completed mosaics look amazing!”

Further activities embedded within this project included fun artist-led illustration workshops with Gary Erskine – pupils created two illustrated bi-lingual information boards about the Antonine Wall, as well as study trips to museums to see the fascinating Roman artefacts.