"The children particularly responded to the freedom to be creative. Teachers responded to the idea of transformation, and the opportunity to create a sculpture show alongside children's drawings of how the objects were transformed, and the processes they underwent"

"Best of all - the children had an awareness that their individual creativity is something to be valued - that they have the space to make mistakes and to reassess - it gave them so much confidence"

"Children gained great depth of knowledge as to what sculpture can be"

The Sculpture Chain was designed for pupils at Key Stage 2 and each workshop lasted between half a day and a full day. The workshop centres on the following areas:

Encouragement of pupils to value their "imagination" as something they all have, something which is unique to the individual and something which can provide a way in to their own creativity. The idea that "imagination" cannot be wrong and that likewise sometimes we can't talk about sculpture as being "wrong".

• Exploration and investigation of familiar objects - Re-seeing, questioning, challenging. · Exploration of materials, choosing appropriate materials for the appropriate task/outcome.
• Practical making - Inventiveness and dexterity in using materials and tools.
• Communication of ideas, original intention, end results, discussion relating to how the sculpture would develop - how things could be done differently, and understanding of each others work.
• The idea of making sculpture collaboratively.

The artists introduce the workshop to the whole class by asking a few questions about sculpture. The main aim of these questions is to make sure that everyone is starting from the same point - a quick check of what we all mean by the word "sculpture". Children are given a chance to say what sculpture is to them - what its made out of...what its purpose is…what we might see it…who makes it. Questioning is guided to ensure that by the end of the short question and answer session the pupils have an expansive idea of what sculpture can be (almost anything) and can be made out of (almost anything). Minds are opened.

The artists then ask the class what they think they need to make sculpture. Once materials, tools, hands etc. have been said, the artists get the children to arrive at the word imagination. Imagination is illustrated as a concept by using the example of looking at clouds in the sky, and seeing shapes/objects emerge. Children are asked a series of important questions which again set the tone of the workshop:

• Do we all have an imagination? (yes)
• Do we all have the same imagination? (no)
• Can imagination be wrong? (no)

Other things we need to make sculpture will come up such as: "creation, inspiration" - the artists link these back to using our imagination. Also at this point the artists make it clear that "today everyone is going to be able to make sculpture. We're not going to tell you how…only help you when you get stuck. Remember that if your imagination cannot be wrong - and you use your imagination to make sculpture, then your sculpture cannot be wrong!"

Still in a group, the artists bring the children's attention to a pile of objects wrapped in newspaper. The artists announce that they have brought every child a gift. It's stressed that the gifts are ordinary objects - not exciting - and mostly things they will have seen before. BUT - the children are asked to use their imagination and to pretend that the wrapped object has just fallen out of the sky - perhaps fallen out of an alien's spacecraft - at their feet. They are shocked…surprised. They are asked to pretend to themselves that they have never seen what they are about to unwrap before - not to give it a name - not to recognise it. Children are asked "How would you find out more about this strange thing?"

• By turning it over in your hands - which way up could it go?
• By touching it - is it hard or soft, heavy or light, what's the texture like?
• By looking at it - what colour is it
• By wondering about it - what could it be used for…what could it be?
• By smelling it - maybe!

Before the children unwrap their objects the artists issue the final challenge - "to turn the strange object into sculpture - using your imagination". Artists remind children that their sculpture doesn't have to be anything (it doesn't have to be animal, human etc.) - it doesn't have to be "name-able".

Still as a group - and before the children have unwrapped their objects, the artists explain that the way the children will transform their objects is by using methods and materials.

Firstly they might change the object:

• By squashing the object
• Breaking the object
• Twisting the object
• Folding the object
• Cutting the object

Secondly the children might add to the object. At this point the materials are introduced. These include a wide range of objects - some traditionally used for making sculpture - but many more which are ordinary and everyday and not obviously related to making sculpture. These might be sorted into categories and include:

• Tying materials: elastic bands, paper clips, different kinds of string, coloured electrical tape, fabric strips, bandages, paper fasteners, raffia, thin wire, copper wire
• Sharp things: nails, dress making pins, drawing pins, safety pins
• Things to cover with: fabric, tissue paper, cling film, foil, plastic food bags, bin bags, leather, vinyl
• Malleable things: clay, mod roc, plastacine
• Rigid things: pieces of wood, dowel, withies (willow sticks) canes, matchsticks, lolly sticks, clothes pegs
• Frivolous things: feathers, sequins, glitter, braid, ribbon, fairy candles, tinsel, cotton buds, cotton wool

Children are made aware that they are free to use any of the materials in any way they choose. For the most part there is no right or wrong way to use the materials. However, the artists stress that the children are responsible for choosing the right materials for the appropriate task, and responsible for the outcome. For instance if they want to change the structure of their object - perhaps make it tall - then they should not make that structure out of thin wire or plastacine - it will fall down. Equally, if they want their object to look scary - then using pink feathers will not be effective - using nails painted red might. However the artists are careful not to use too many examples - as children will be too easily led.

Children are encouraged to take maximum responsibility for the materials by for instance changing the materials themselves before they use them - pulling a cotton bud apart, painting a feather gold. Also to combine materials with the object imaginatively - tape and glue should be a last resort. Working methods can be introduced at this point:

• Binding
• Tying
• Poking
• Knotting
• Weaving
• Threading
• Wrapping etc.

Some tools are available for use - hacksaws, pliers, hammers - demonstrations at the beginning of how to use the tools safely and with regard to others.

Children are reminded of the challenge and sent off to get started. For any children that are stuck (unlikely) the materials provide the answer - children are encouraged to gather the materials they like the look of and take them to their space and experiment with what the materials can do in relation to the object.

In some cases the objects were unwrapped one by one as a group - so everyone could see what everyone else had. In others they unwrapped on mass.

Once the children have transformed their objects into sculpture, the room is always tidied so that we can create a temporary "gallery" space to give the children chance to share their work, experiences and to give value to what has been made. It is important that the room is tidy so that the sculptures can be seen at their best. Normally tables would be pushed together in the centre of the room to create one big display area, with space around for the children to gather. Children are invited to put their finished sculptures on the table - and really encouraged to give each others sculpture "space".

Once the display is set the children are asked to stop for a moment, become quiet and to pretend they are in a very important gallery. We tell the children that they are here to look at some amazing objects and in a moment they will begin walking slowly round the display so they get a chance to see all the sculptures. Seeing sculptures this way gives pupils an opportunity to remember that it is important to look at sculptures from all sides. This activity normally begins quite quietly - but the noise soon rises as children become excited when they see all the other objects.

After a few moments when the children have walked all the way round the display the artists and teachers normally ask the children a few questions to refocus them and to remind them of what they have learnt/experienced. For example:

What were your favourite materials? Did you find yourself working with some materials more than others? What did you think when you opened your gift? Can you recognise your original object in your sculpture or is it completely transformed? Who made something or did something then changed their mind? How did you decide how to work? What do you think of the finished sculpture? Is it Sculpture? If it had to belong to a place, would it belong to Earth, Air, Water, Ground? How would you change it if you did it again?

The "chain" is created by the pupils passing on chosen objects to either another school or other pupils within the same school (once they have experienced the workshop for themselves). The original sculpture chain took place across four schools - visiting each school twice. This allowed pupils to take part in the workshop, go home and choose an object which was then taken to pupils in the next school to be transformed, a new object chosen by those pupils and so on. Pupils were able to see how the object which they had given had been transformed by the previous school.

The chain element of the workshop helps create a community within the school, or group of schools.

To keep a record of all the transformations and pupils' experiences and also to tie together the four schools, artists created a big log book (about the size of a wallpaper book). The log book was taken to each workshop and pupils were able to write or draw directly in it. Digital photos were also taken and stuck in as a record of the "before" and "after". Children really enjoyed looking in the log book as the chain developed - following the progress of their objects. It also provided teachers with a "home" for all the writing and drawing which was created as a result of the workshop. Some schools were inspired to make their own log books.

IT - Schools could equally create a virtual log book on a schools web site, with images and text submitted by e-mail. Digital cameras make it easy for children to take records of their own work and decide whether the photograph fairly represents their work or not.

The artists were careful not to show images of artists work before the children had created their own work - mostly because it tends to too strongly influence the work the children produce. After the event however, there are a number of contemporary artists the children could research, who transform ordinary objects into extraordinary sculpture:

• Picasso - used found objects to create sculpture
• Christo and Jeanne-Claude - wrapping whole buildings and islands in fabric
• Cornelia Parker - makes "installations" (site specific pieces) such as a blown apart garden shed, carefully strung together in mid explosion, or silver cutlery which has been steam rolled flat

Whilst the workshop could easily be carried out by teachers, the artists outline the following benefits to schools of practising artists leading this particular workshop:

• The idea of sculpture “arriving” or “being taken” to the host schools is central to the initiative. It helps create a sense of occasion and expectation which the children respond to
• Artists arrive with no prior knowledge of the individual pupils needs or abilities. A level playing ground is established form the start together with the idea that everyone present will make a successful sculpture. In the vast majority of cases this is exactly what happens - with often the less able pupil or disruptive pupil reacting well to the presence of an outsider (the artist) and a novel experience
• The energy in the classroom during a workshop such as this is considerable - and it has to be. The whole room becomes a sculpture studio, materials take a vast amount of space and children need to be standing up and with enough space to work effectively. Artists are well placed to visit a school, bring the energy with them, and leave (leaving behind tidy room and mountain of sculpture).

N.B. The workshop outlined above was created by Cambridge Sculpture Workshops and echoes the working philosophy of that particular organisation. Different artists/arts organisations will have different ways of working.

If you decide to try the workshop in your school, you might want to think about:

• Creating a web site for your school or class, displaying images of artwork produced - let AccessArt know of your web address so we can make a link to your pages.
• Combining IT and Art and get your pupils working collaboratively with other pupils. Start a Sculpture Chain in your school and connect to a feeder school - pupils can send each other objects electronically (via e-mail) and pupils can find the object and make the sculpture, and then send an object electronically to another school.

If you try a variation of this workshop please let us know about any changes you make and how it effects the outcome, via the AccessArt website (e-mail info@accessart.org.uk). We're here to learn new ideas too!