The Nest Project
Community artists Claire Gebbett and Rebekah Boone are running outdoor coomunity nest-building sessions and are looking for partners. Read below or download the documents if you are interested to know more.
Please get in touch with Claire or Rebekah for a more detailed discussion about your organisation’s ideas and where a project like this could lead. Email clairegebbett@gmail.com or phone Claire (07828329636) or Bekah (07801967885).
Please get in touch with Claire or Rebekah for a more detailed discussion about your organisation’s ideas and where a project like this could lead. Email clairegebbett@gmail.com or phone Claire (07828329636) or Bekah (07801967885).
The nest project began back in the Spring of 2016. My Forest School Group set out to try and build their own giant nest along a roadside. Much collaborative design took place, mathematical reasoning was involved in making the circle and the project became a community art piece when we quickly ran out of twigs. We put up a large sign “Help us build our nest, please add sticks!”
The response was enthusiastic. Everyone from young children with their parents to teenagers joined in the build, grannies turned up with bags of sticks and cones. Others simply asked us about our progress and what we were aiming to achieve. Parents chatted to their kids on the way to school – “What built it?” “Does a dragon live there?” etc. In August 2016, the EDP ran an article about our nest after a member of the public tweeted them about the project. Over the winter we had a good look at the original blackbird’s nest; the children noticed there were several sweet wrappers entwined. As a side project, we began making art out of the rubbish which collected around the nest. Simultaneously, collages were made from natural materials, thus exploring the differences between natural waste and man-made waste and the effect of decaying litter both in art and on the environment. With my colleague, Rebekah Boone, qualified teacher with an MA in Art Education, we entered the project into NN Open Studios in Spring 2017. Over 2 weekends we had over 100 visitors. To highlight the work of charities working to protect the environment and campaign against plastic waste, we “litterbombed” the surrounding garden with plastic wrappers and created a small world of other nests and creatures. During the exhibition, visitors could discuss the project with members of the group, make their own art to take away, buy artworks made by the group, buy cards or have tea and cake whilst contemplating the giant nest. One of the children devised a questionnaire as a way of helping people to think about what we had made; over 30 people spent time completing it. Rebekah and I, having had over 40 years’ joint experience of educational projects, would like to offer our services in helping your organisation replicate this project. The outcomes would be:
Please get in touch for a more detailed discussion about your organisation’s ideas and where we a project like this could lead us. Email clairegebbett@gmail.com or phone Claire (07828329636) or Bekah (07801967885). We look forward to hearing from and hopefully working with you. |
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