Girlguiders get their hands dirty!
19 May, 2008
Over 70 members of Girlguiding Nottinghamshire relished the opportunity to get their hands dirty at a workshop held for them in Beeston by sculptor Gwen Heeney.Gwen, who currently teaches at the University of Wolverhampton and who has been creating large-scale projects with bricks for over 20 years, has been commissioned to create a sculpture to be erected in Rufford Park which will celebrate Guiding’s centenary in 2010.
The Rainbows, Brownies, Guides, Young Leaders and Guiders had come from 12 different Units all over the county to join her at Beeston Guide Headquarters on Sunday, and were delighted to be involved in the formative stages of the project.
Encourage
All the participants were encouraged to use charcoal, graphite and then raw clay bricks in order to develop their own ideas to represent Guiding in the past, the present and the future.
Gwen explained that their ideas will be incorporated into the final piece: formed from ‘green’ – or unfired - bricks which will be carved and set in the shape of a large Trefoil, the commemorative sculpture will be dismantled for firing and then reassembled on site as part of the centenary celebrations in 2010.
Interactive Work of Art
Intended as an interactive work of art, the finished structure will feature areas to sit and chat or simply contemplate the world.
At the close of the workshop, Gwen Heeney reflected that the girls had been a pleasure to work with. “They are really creative with lots of energy in their ideas, all of which will inform the final piece of work.
“The girls certainly worked hard to develop their own sculptures, though several admitted that once they had started work, it was very difficult to stop.
“As a result of the experience, some of the participants are now considering taking up classes in sculpture.
The centenary sculpture is one of a series of initiatives being planned by Girlguiding Nottinghamshire to ensure that 2010 is a memorable milestone for every one of its 9,000 members across the county.
By editor@nottinghamng9.co.uk.
