Sharon and Rachel were approached by Chapel Street Primary School in
Manchester to collaborate on a sculpture for the EYFS playground. We
decided to create a project focusing on Treasures, those small trinkets
that carry big stories, and natural treasures that are so small you have
to really look to find them! We wanted to include workshops with the
children at the school and local participants so we organised workshops
for pupils in Nursery and Reception classes at Chapel Street Primary
School. The children brought in treasures from home and told us about them, some were even donated to the project!
We decorated the forest area to encourage the children to see it with fresh eyes and think about what they were looking at.
Working
with air hardening clay the children spent time in the forest area
looking at the shapes of leaves, buds, twigs, seeds, pods...anything
they could find that inspired them to re-create their own shapes. They
then took these tiny sculptures and placed them in 'The Gallery of
Gilded Frames'. The trinket Treasures were also placed in the Gallery.
The work made by children at Chapel Street greatly influenced the shape of the sculpture. Here is a maquette (small study sculpture) that Rachel made from clay using the children's work as inspiration. Rachel had to design an area in the sculpture that could hold the treasures without loosing the children's influence.
