Once upon a time (not all that long ago), the acclaimed artist Yinka Shonibare and a crew of 11 youngsters set sail on a voyage of cultural discovery.

Shonibare recently won the hotly contested competition to create a work of art for one of the most eye-catching spots in England — the empty “fourth plinth” in Trafalgar Square. He is making a scale replica of HMS Victory, the magnificent vessel in which Nelson masterminded the Battle of Trafalgar. Next year it will go on the plinth in a giant glass bottle. But what will its sails be made of?

The answer is “Dutch print”, which is brightly coloured material inspired by Indonesian batiks, mass produced in the Netherlands, and very popular in West Africa. For Yinka, who has roots in both Nigeria and England, these are a reflection of London’s rich cultural diversity.

Yinka asked his young assistants to each bring a piece of fabric that they felt represented their culture and to each design some sails of their own.

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BACKGROUND

• The Okido science colouring book that you can eat

• How schoolchildren shaped the new Trafalgar Square plinth

• Traditional British culture has been forgotten

BACKGROUND

• Heston Blumenthal's Mock Turtle Soup

• Sophie Dahl's magic muesli

• Make a gingerbread house and people

“My fourth plinth commission is a celebration of multicultural Britain today,” said Yinka, “and this is a perfect project for children to start understanding other cultures.”

Tayo, 11, said that he wanted his piece of material to incorporate “all the flags of my culture”, which in his case means England, Canada, Jamaica and China! In the end he gave his design seven Bugatti engines, just for good measure, and called it St Ives Mama. Nemo used a spraycan to make his handcuff-inspired design: “Some people don’t like graffiti but I like it so I don’t care.” Tiana, 7, insisted: “There’s no red in the Jamaican flag.” Marvin, 7, was probably the most culturally adventurous voyager of all — he went intergalactic with his designs, incorporating the mysteriously robed Jawa from Star Wars.

After the artists had finished their designs, Yinka said: “I was pleased to see the individual contributions to the sails create something universal as a group. Their enthusiasm and open-mindedness are infectious; in a world where there is conflict being open about other’s cultures in particularly important.” And then they sailed away.

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