The Launch event July 2009

2009-11-29T14:03:00.001-08:00

www.johnmerrill.org

The bluebell sculpture

2009-05-12T06:14:00.000-07:00

John and Julian made the sculpture during February and March 09.

John made the arch, Julian made the bells.

It was installed in April.

They have had trouble making the ground around the sculpture firm enough for wheel chairs - but we are still working on it!.

We are still looking for funding to improve the paths which lead to the sculpture and around the woodland area.

National Wildflower centre project to create a sensory sculpture for the woodland in partnership with the Access to heritage Project 2009

2009-05-12T05:27:00.000-07:00

Sensory Sculpture for the woodland Area

Sensory sculpture to be made in consultation with groups from the Access to Heritage Project including The Royal School for the Blind and Stockbridge Village Day centre.

The consultation will be a mixture of 10 visits and practical creative sessions held at The National Wildflower Centre.

The project will be coordinated through the Access to Heritage Project.

Artists will be contracted by the Access to Heritage Project in agreement with National Wildflower Centre.

Artists will invoice the National Wildflower Centre for payment.

The theme for the project will be Bluebells –

The Artistic brief will be as follows

Interactive sound sculpture using the theme of “Blue Bells” to be made through consultation and creative workshops with our groups of visitors who would benefit from sensory additions to the woodland area.

Seating, shade and interactive sound will be incorporated

Consultation

Artists working with community groups

18^th November 2008 led by Ticky Lowe

am 4 five year olds from the Royal school for the Blind - Wavertree felt making

pm 10 adults with learning disabilities from Halewood resource centre – workshop held at Sudley House.

24^th November led by John Merrill

am Teenagers from the Royal school for the Blind Wavertree held at The Wildflower Centre – wind chimes

pm 4 adults with learning disabilities from L8 resource Centre Toxteth –wind chimes

27^th November led by John Merrill

6 children from the Royal school for the Blind

pm 4 people with learning disabilities from L8 resource centre –wind chimes.

28^th November led by Ticky Lowe

6 children from RSFB held at the school – felt making

pm 8 adults from Halewood resource centre held at the centre – felt making

4^th of Dec led by ceramicist John Ayling

am 3 people from L8 - clay

pm 9 people from Knowsley - clay

Site Visit

10 Workshops have now taken place and some of the groups have also visited the woodland area.

Some of the people who were in wheel chairs and being pushed around the woodland path got stuck and had to turn back.

One of the more able members of the group from the Royal school for the Blind felt unsteady on the path and needed to turn back.

We asked if they thought it would be better in summer time when there were fewer leaves under foot and the ground was firmer but the access officers from the royal school for the blind said that the floor surface was still going to make it difficult for wheel chairs and to be truly accessible we would need to make a tarmac path.I suggested a wooden board walk with a nonslip mesh – this would be acceptable

Workshops

The sound, felt and clay workshops have helped us to get to know the groups and it has been valuable to find out what sounds they like best and how they like to access them – we hope that all of the artwork produced in the workshops will become part of an entrance for woodland next spring.

Findings and observations

People in wheel chairs cannot reach their hands out far beyond the chair

They need things which can come to them.

People who are visually impaired do not necessarily enjoy or feel confident about touching things and they may prefer to use their feet!

Some people in wheel chairs enjoy a variety textures under their wheels.

Most people need frequent rests and would like there to be a lot of places to sit down comfortably.

Some clear sounds made every one stop and listen.

Support staff need to be aware of what is available to them so that they make the most of it.

All of the groups enjoyed the workshops and would like to do more.

Suggestions for the woodland

A wooden walkway leading visitors around the woodland and directly to particular areas would open it up to all visitors,

Even to enable wheelchair users to get up close to the bark of a tree!

Some signage near the decking and around the woodland including tactile signs and symbols - which can be made in consultation with the access to heritage groups working on this project would help all visitors make better use of the area.

This could include simple things like – get close to a tree, look for bugs under the logs, listen for birds, look for the squirrels……….

Seating around the woodland path will encourage people to use it – and will help to create spaces - for listening to sounds, story telling, etc and could be a mixture of low down log seats – the ones there at the moment need replacing

And carved wooden benches -

The design of the walkway needs to be integral to the whole sensory woodland plan for current works and future plans.

It needs to reach all seating and sculptures in order to be accessible.

Phase One

Sensory sculpture – bluebell arch sited along the more suitable path on the right of the decking leading towards the woodland.

Temporary work – the work created through the workshops will form an archway, which could be placed, at the beginning of the path and other pieces inside the centre on the way out to the woodland – particularly during bluebell season.

A garland of blue bells will be hung from the trees through out the woodland.

nwc bluebell

The Launch event July 2009

The bluebell sculpture

National Wildflower centre project to create a sensory sculpture for the woodland in partnership with the Access to heritage Project 2009