In July, we welcomed welcome six students from Senzoku Gakuen in Japan as part of the Jersey-Japan Heritage Summit, an international exchange programme designed to foster cultural understanding, leadership and lifelong global connections.
The programme, devised with the help of Charlotte Hotton, History Teacher at JCG, aimed to highlight the power of international educational exchanges to broaden horizons, build confidence and encourage young women to develop the skills, cultural awareness and leadership qualities needed to thrive in a global society.
The Japanese group were immersed in Jersey’s unique history, culture and natural environment at all times. They visited Mont Orgueil Castle, the Jersey War Tunnels and World War II bunkers. They took part in foraging experiences and sessions focusing on the island’s unique geology, flora and wildlife, and visited the Jersey Island Geopark, wetlands and the internationally significant site of La Cotte.
To complete their Jersey experience, the students also enjoyed some of the island’s most iconic attractions, including visits to Clairval Dairy Farm to meet Jersey cows, Jersey Zoo, the Central Market, the cliff paths and a tour aboard the Petite Train.
Throughout their stay, they were partnered with JCG student “buddies”, which created opportunities for meaningful friendships, cultural exchange and the development of international perspectives for young people from both Jersey and Japan.
The students were formally welcomed to the island on during an official ceremony at St. Helier Town Hall hosted by the Connétable of St Helier, Deputy Inna Gardiner, alongside JCG Principal Carl Howarth; Jersey College Foundation CEO Alison Morgan and External Relations Officer Ellen McKinney.
Alison Morgan, CEO of the Jersey College Foundation, said: “This visit is about much more than tourism. It is an opportunity for young people from opposite sides of the world to learn from one another, celebrate shared heritage, build lasting friendships and develop a deeper understanding of different cultures. These experiences help nurture the confident, globally minded leaders of tomorrow and we are deeply honoured to help provide those to JCG students and their Japanese counterparts.
Islands Connected
As part of the programme, the students contributed to ArtHouse Jersey’s Art in the Arches initiative, collaborating with their JCG buddies to create a lasting artistic legacy and leave their mark on the island.
Their twin murals celebrated the unique identities of two island communities separated by thousands of miles of ocean yet connected through creativity, culture and friendship.
At the centre of each mural sits a large circular mandala representing the spirit of an island. The Japanese mural features a jade island surrounded by a deep cobalt sea, reflecting Japan’s enduring relationship with the ocean and the cultural symbolism of harmony, nature and renewal. The Jersey mural places a pink granite island within a silver-grey sea, celebrating the distinctive colours of Jersey’s landscape, its coastline and the granite that has shaped both its architecture and identity.
Although each mural represents a different place, they were created as one shared artwork. Throughout the project, the students from Japan and Jersey College for Girls worked together, with every student contributing to both murals. Rather than creating separate national artworks, the young artists exchanged ideas, techniques and stories, ensuring that every painting contains the creative fingerprints of both communities.
Flowing between the two islands are currents of colour, pattern and botanical forms inspired by the natural environments of Japan and Jersey. Like the oceans that connect islands across the world, these visual elements symbolise the movement of people, ideas and culture, reminding us that creativity transcends borders.
This project celebrates more than artistic achievement. It is a testament to international friendship, mutual respect and the belief that art has the power to bring people together. By painting side by side, the students discovered that while every culture has its own traditions and identity, collaboration creates something richer than either could achieve alone.
Together, these murals stand as lasting symbols of connection, demonstrating that even islands separated by vast oceans can meet through imagination, learning and shared creativity.
