Children grow a whimsical world
Maidenhead: Immersive exhibition opens at arts centre
An immersive exhibition of magical lands imagined by children is now on show at Norden Farm Centre for the Arts in Maidenhead.
The Magical Lands exhibition saw children at five Royal Borough schools and two groups associated with Achieving for Children express their creative side with ‘whimsical’ animations and models of imaginary creatures.
Sculptures made from willow and paper have been assembled into three main trunks of a beanstalk stretching from the floor to the ceiling in the gallery, twisting up into the roof space.
It was assembled by artist Amelia Pimlott with music and original sound by Hannah Marshall.
Both are co-artistic directors at the Ding Foundation, which seeks to create original theatre using a
cross range of art forms such as puppetry and animation.
Animations are projected onto the leaves and surrounding areas of the beanstalks.
There are about eight projectors in all, displaying light shows and animations.
“It’s such a meditative space with beanbags on the floor and you can soak up the artwork,” said a Norden Farm education officer, Jess Thompson.
“The idea behind it is to make it accessible to all children including those with special education needs.
“It’s an immersive experience – it’s lovely, it’s something you can experience that’s not about reading or analysing.”
The exhibition is also an environmentally friendly project, using recycled paper and willow, which can be regenerated, Jess added.
The schools involved include Altwood Church of England School, Furze Platt Junior School, Burchetts Green Infant School, St Edmund Campion and Cookham Rise Primary School.
Children involved in the Kickback and Esteem projects run by Achieving for Children (which provides children’s services across the Borough) also got involved.
Children involved will visit over the school holidays.
W The free exhibition is open to all, with families and youngsters of all ages welcome. It opened on Tuesday and runs until Saturday, April 23.