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Belper Tokyo City

Design with memories 

This project, supported by Belper School and guided by ThomFong, formed part of a cultural exchange with Toyota City. Through creative practice, students reflected on shared experiences, embraced cultural differences, and celebrated common ground. ThomFong nurtured their ideas with professional guidance, helping to build cross-cultural understanding and create lasting impact within the school community.

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"David and Vicki truly listened, they took the time to hear each student’s story, capturing the essence of their experiences with empathy and sensitivity." 
Robert Turner, Assistant Head Teacher, Belper School and Sixth Form Centre

"In an impressively short period, they helped students translate these reflections into a visually stunning mural, inspiring future students to embrace new opportunities." 

Robert Turner, Assistant Head Teacher, Belper School and Sixth Form Centre

"The resulting video is a moving tribute to the transformative nature of the trip and the strength of our partnership with Toyota City."
Robert Turner, Assistant Head Teacher, Belper School and Sixth Form Centre

Designing Stories of Exchange and Connection

Transforming cultural insights into an artwork and film that inspire learning and collaboration

 

The Challenge

To deliver a meaningful creative project that gave students the opportunity to reflect on their Toyota City Cultural Exchange experience. The challenge was to transform memories, insights, and shared moments into a film and accompanying artwork that highlighted the discovery of both differences and synergies between cultures. The goal: to equip students with design-thinking skills while producing a resource that could support future workshops, inspire classroom discussions, and promote the value of exchange in shaping young people’s outlook on life.

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Our Approach

We worked closely with Belper School to guide students through the creative process and ensure their voices remained at the centre of the project. Our process included:

  • Supporting students in forming design teams focused on key cultural themes and shared experiences

  • Encouraging the use of critical analysis to distill content gathered from the exchange into authentic storytelling

  • Guiding the application of design thinking to structure a film that celebrated both difference and connection

  • Providing professional feedback to strengthen students’ creative decision-making and project outcomes

  • Collaborating on the creation of a lasting artwork that captured the collective spirit of the exchange

  • Ensuring the final outputs could be embedded into school workshops and classroom activities for long-term educational use

 

The Outcome

  • A student-centred film capturing the excitement, reflection, and friendships formed during the Toyota City Cultural Exchange

  • A lasting artwork celebrating shared experiences, exhibited at Belper School

  • Students strengthened skills in design, storytelling, image making, teamwork, and creative problem-solving

  • Educational resources for future workshops and classroom activities, introducing students to the value of cultural exchange

  • A pilot framework for future collaborations combining professional design guidance with aspirational school projects

  • Enhanced community connections and a sense of pride in both local and international experiences

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