Installation brings some festive magic
Students from the Berkshire College of Agriculture (BCA) have teamed up with Norden Farm to create a storytelling installation based on the venue’s Christmas show, Kipper’s Snowy Day.
The display can be found in the former Poppies shop unit in the Nicholsons Centre, where there will be free storytelling for youngsters this Saturday at 11.30am and 12pm.
Each free session is 20 minutes long and will be based on the best-selling Kipper the Dog books by author and illustrator Mick Inkpen.
In October, second year students from BCA’s performing arts and production arts courses met with Mick over Zoom to ask him questions about his stories as part of a
Norden Farm project called ‘Young Creatives’.
The twelve students then designed and created an installation in the shopping centre , which has transformed the old shop unit into ‘a magical, cosy place’, complete with a dog bed and painted shop windows.
The students worked with Norden Farm staff including technical manager Matt Biss and education officer Jess Thompson, as well as resident artist Amelia Pimlott.
Jess said: “Norden Farm's ‘Young Creatives’ project provides young people with the opportunity to learn about delivering arts events for children and families.
“They receive training from experienced practitioners and gain hands-on experience. The project provides valuable work experience for the student's future development and provides opportunities for personal development, particularly in selfconfidence and leadership ability.
“The work the BCA students created touched a huge number of young people in the community.
“They brought energy and creativity to this project and everyone at Norden Farm was really impressed with their ideas and dedication.”
Kipper’s Snowy Day runs until Sunday, December 30 at the Altwood Road venue.