Brooke Weston

Year 9 students have made kites based on the traditional culture of kite fighting in Asia. The students first researched how the kite has evolved and been used in fighting, fishing and during warfare, before designing their own versions, many with traditional Chinese and Asian symbols.

Design Technology teacher Miss Blencowe said: ‘Kite fighting is where people make kites and fly them at each other. They coat the line in a resin with shards of crushed glass and fly them aiming to cut the opponent's kite from its string. It is a traditional sport in Afghanistan on Friday afternoon after prayers mainly for men and boys. We also looked at kite fishing and the use of kites in warfare to relay messages. In some countries kites are still made out of tissue paper.

‘The kites the students are making need to be fairly large, of a lightweight fabric and with lots of traditional and cultural patterns. Some of the girls have incorporated script writing and there are lots of Japanese flowers as well.’

Student Matthew Steventon said: ‘I enjoyed designing my kite. It has the Chinese numbers from one to ten plus the yin and yang symbol and colourful streamers.’

Casey Lawrie’s kite has a loveheart and butterfly theme. She said: ‘The hardest bit has been the sewing, I did most of it in machine stitch and bits by hand.’