After distributing water-saving material from recyclable bottles to push-taps to thermostatic mixing valves in schools across Malta, the HSBC Water Programme – Catch the Drop will be handing watercolours to students to draw their own vision of water as an essential resource.

The artwork produced will embody elements of water and its importance in our lives.

The ‘Imagine water, catch the drop’ project takes its colours from a newly-established partnership between HSBC Bank Malta and École d’art au village (Edaav). It will engage artists, teachers and students in a long-term and meaningful creative process while raising awareness of the importance of water. The students will be encouraged to stir emotions using the power of a variety of media such as photography, video, music, collage or installations.

The project runs for three scholastic years until 2018 and will trace the footsteps of the HSBC Water Programme – Catch the Drop.

French artist Sébastien Cailleux will serve as Edaav project coordinator and work with 125 students per year from five classes in three schools in collaboration with the Ministry for Education and others.

At the first distribution of drawing material at the Mater Boni Consilli – St Joseph School, Paola, Mr Cailleux said: “Edaav has inspired more than 10,000 students in 23 countries. But the one common thread among all the projects is that they focus on the children of the world. It is fascinating to see these young students transform the world around them using a touch of colour.”

The programme is the largest ever national environmental and educational campaign of its kind in Malta with an aim to forge a blueprint for progress on sustainability of water as a resource. The programme was launched in 2013 with an aim to educate nearly 50,000 school-going children in the country.