Wild Art on Wimbledon Common - Day 1
Monday, 23rd October 2017
This year’s Wild Art on Wimbledon Common was conceived and designed by artist and forest school practitioner Philippa Snell. Due to last minute unforeseen circumstances Philippa was unable to lead the course but our team were able to deliver the course with her expert tutelage!
Bright and early we set up camp with some shelters to protect us for rain that was forecast. It really is a beautiful spot, whatever the weather and the trees give ample shelter from light rain. We prepared our kit, then welcomed the children.
We began with a full health and safety briefing, a walk around the boundary of our camp and some lessons in how to use sharp tools like saws, loppers and secateurs. Adults to do the sawing and gloves were worn when using secateurs. We set the scene for the next two days by explaining Samhain – a time when the the veil between worlds is at its thinnest. The children prepared portals to other worlds by making ground pictures. This got our imaginations going and stories started to emerge.
We explored our surroundings and experimented with the materials available to us. Moss, ferns, logs, leaves and berries.
Some adventurous collecting began! Portals took the form of eyes, through which you could see to another world, some had their own power source to project you elsewhere, others pulled you in and spat you out in different directions, some drew you in to a fiery place, or clock-like time machines, took you to another time.
We then imagined the people we might meet on the other side of the portal and built a home for them. We experimented with different building techniques. On different scales. Some lived in the trees, some were nest-like, some lived in tiny wooden huts, others tried to build complicated castles with amazing engineering skills! We took a tour of each others villages explained their properties and introduced their people.
After lunch and a good run around we learnt how to make lanterns out of willow. Lanterns were traditionally hung outside houses at Samhain to show ancestors the way.
We stripped willow branches and made a circle. Then used 6 longer sticks to make a frame. This was a two person job – we needed to help each other - one to hold, the other to tie. Once we had the shape, we collected the best of the autumn leaves to weave into the frame. We had to weave wool around the frame then poke in leaves and ferns.
Some of us also made dreamcatchers – so pretty!
We strung up the lanterns ready to take a nightlight. They looked beautiful and really started to change the feel of our camp.
Tomorrow we will continue to explore the theme of otherworld and see what other spirits we can release. We will start the day with a little mud sculpting!
Thank you to Philippa for all her expert guidance – we think she was speaking to us through the portals as we worked!
