The Pop Up Penguins is a second sculpture trail to come to Christchurch this summer. Pop Up Penguins will give residents and visitors a fresh opportunity to discover and delight in all that makes Ōtautahi special. The public art trail will include 50 large penguin sculptures, sponsored by companies and decorated by established and emerging artists, along with up to 65 little penguins, decorated by schools as part of the Pop Up Penguins Learning Programme.

All decorated penguins will be displayed across Christchurch on a public art trail that will celebrate all the unique parts of our city. The penguins will highlight themes like climate change, community, Antarctica, creativity, innovation and exploration. After 10 weeks, out and about in Christchurch, the street sized penguins will be auctioned to raise money for Cholmondeley Children’s Centre.

Our sculpture was inspired by the seasons in Antarctica, hinting at environmental issues. The group of students brainstormed suitable names and finally determined it should be; Kei a koutou te tikanga/ It's our decision. 

All of the Year 5 and 6 students have created a design for our Westburn Penguin. The students were inspired by articles and school journals we have been reading in our classrooms all centred around the amazing wildlife that inhabits Antarctica, learning about what scientists do on this continent on a daily basis and learning how we can better look after and ensure this beautiful place is protected for the future. The students wanted to illustrate the landscape in Antarctica during summer and winter to highlight this stunning environment as a warning to others of global warming affecting the penguins' habitat. 

We all want to send a message to everyone around the world about how important the penguins are to us. Kei a koutou te tikanga. It's our decision!