Children get arty at Conningbrook Lakes

Pupils from Kennington Primary School joined a workshop at Conningbrook Lakes in Ashford this week as part of a public arts installations programme celebrating the location’s unique environment.

Called Seed Journeys, the workshop was held with artist Laura Thomas and saw pupils use mini-journals to record seed journeys and natural soil pigments using materials found around the park to draw or write with. They also learnt Hapa Zome, a printing method to make fabric images of the plants.

Further workshops are planned for later this summer, with the next being held on June 10th. Pupils from North School will join with artist Andy Evans for a Sculptural Planting Session, with pupils using clay to mix their own paint, draw foraged seed heads and build larger scale 3D sculptural forms, which will return to nature, to be sited in the landscape.

Later that month, on June 24th, a further workshop with pupils from Tower School and artist, Gemma Gottelier, focusing on Plant Life.

The workshops are being run by artist collective Outdoor Studios, and form part of the public arts commitment to deliver a dedicated temporary engagement programme with the local community, visitors and new residents at the Conningbrook Lakes development.

The public artworks, some of which are expected to be unveiled later this year, will celebrate the unique environment of Conningbrook Lakes with a particular focus on the diverse and abundant wildlife. Four permanent art installations are being created on the themes of ‘explore’ and ‘dwell’, with the art workshops delivering the temporary art programme on the theme of ‘interact’.

The former quarry site at Conningbrook Lakes is being transformed by a multi-million-pound development of 300 new homes around the lakes, together with improvements to facilities at the country park. Latimer, part of the Clarion Housing Group, in partnership with Westerhill Homes, part of leading Kent-based developers, Chartway Group, are working in partnership with Ashford Borough Council to deliver the public arts installations.

The workshops are organised by public art consultants FrancisKnight on behalf of The Chartway Group Ltd, Latimer Developments Ltd and Ashford Borough Council.

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