Lighthouse Poole has celebrated the success of its first ever summer camp, which saw the Main Gallery transformed into what organisers called a “wild imaginative wonderscape” created by children.
The week-long Wild Art Wonders camp, run by Coda Music and Arts Trust, gave young people aged seven to twelve the chance to treat the gallery as their own creative space. Using repurposed and recycled materials, found objects and natural dyes, they built creatures, dens and alternative environments.
Children were able to attend for individual days or take part in the whole week, with optional care available at the start and end of the day to help parents.
Katy Griffiths, Head of Programming at Lighthouse and a parent of two participants, said: “It was fabulous; what they achieved was incredible – they finished the day full of enthusiasm and were so proud to show us the wild, imaginative ‘wonderscape’ they’d created. It was an amazing opportunity for them to work with professional artists and let their imaginations run wild.”
The camp gave children the chance to work alongside different artists each day, who brought their own skills and ideas to the space. Heidi Steller, Creative Programme Director at Coda, said: “Having the Gallery for a week in this way allowed us, as artists, to work in a responsive and child-led way. Having different artists coming into the space brought different skills and energies so that there was always something new to explore.”
Parents who took part in feedback said they would like to see the camp return next year, and children left with creations they had made, asking when the next one would be.
Plans are already being made for a follow up mini camp with new themes during the October half term.
