Wriggle Room is a two-year art and performance programme developed by Towner Eastbourne. Monthly themes gently link activities to the picturesque areas of the South Downs, and Towner's collection of regional, national and international artists. The project is enhanced by seasonal trips into the landscape – e.g. Friston Forest, where we collected seeds, feathers and sticks in a nature scavenger hunt.
The doors open at 10am for each session, which are run by the artists Katy Beinart and Lydia Hunt with the support of volunteers and Towner's Learning Team. Today we are looking at seeds.
ACTIVITIES
- Children are invited to make collagraphs. The children stick different types of seeds and tactile materials onto boards with PVA glue. Once dry, the children paint them and print them onto dampened paper to create unique prints.
- Children look at photographs of seeds taken by German photographer Karl Blossfeldt and are encouraged to make their creations from air-drying clay. They can press large seeds and pinecones into the clay to make impressions and use their fingers to shape the clay. Children are supported to engage with the temperatures and textures of the clay; they can flatten it, roll it and press objects into it.
- We introduce more craft activities to relate seeds to the natural environment. We have looked at images of local forests and landscapes in the collection.
- On the floor, we have a large roll of paper, some paint and sponges on sticks. We also have a self-led area for children to engage in sensory and physical exploration through a ball pool, a tent with lights and tactile toys, a reading tent and a tray of different natural materials such as sheep's wool, moss, shells and, of course, seeds – pine cones and other tree seeds such as acorns, sunflower seeds, buckwheat, poppy, pumpkin, linseed and hemp seeds.
- Lydia tells the self-penned story of ‘Sammy the Seed’, which explores the lifecycle of the seed. Children start by drifting down, and we cover them with a light silk sheet to replicate being underground. We talk about making ourselves small, finding your place in the soil (by wriggling around), getting warmth and nourishment from the weather (stretching to reach for the sun or water). Then we start ‘growing’ underground and getting bigger (stretching out under the sheet), and then becoming a plant and listening to the animals and insects around us and replicating the sounds.
The interactive story session includes passing a bag of creatures among the children. Different animals are selected and held up so the group can all make the noise of the animal, and we round off the session with a sing-along at midday.
AIMS
It is the process of making and exploring the materials that is paramount rather than the finished product. We have two tents as a quiet chill-out area for children if they feel overwhelmed. There is plenty of space to move around the studio and set-up is accessible for children who use wheelchairs or disability buggies.
It is fascinating to observe children engaging with our activities and stories and be able to create an imaginary role in the narrative. Silks tied on wrists transform into bird wings, while empty cardboard boxes become tractors ready to plough through the studio.
Katy Beinartis a visual artist who has worked in arts education for over 20 years, gallery settings and in higher education. Lydia Hunthas 15 years of experience working in inclusive arts and performance.
TOWNER EASTBOURNE
Number of visitors: 118,000 in 2022-23.
Collection: Includes Picasso, Sickert and important 20th century British and contemporary artists. In this its centenary year, Towner will host this year's Turner Prize.
Early years offer: Wriggle Room, which runs all this year, is a free weekly drop-in workshop for under-fives running as a two-year residency, delivered in partnership with the South Downs National Park Authority.
FURTHER INFORMATION