THE VENNY
GARSTON
ADVENTURE PLAY
Photography & Creative Course
Over a series of weekly sessions at Garston Adventure Play, in partnership with Open Eye Gallery, I worked with a group of children to explore photography and creative making as a way of responding to place, identity and community.
Throughout the project, the children experimented with a range of processes including photography, clay modelling, map-making, floral still life and hapa zome (natural printing). They were encouraged to look closely at their surroundings, collect materials, and reflect on what Garston means to them.
A key moment in the project was a visit from Michael Axworthy, who shared stories and songs from growing up in Garston in the 1950s. This brought a powerful multigenerational perspective into the sessions, connecting the children’s creative responses with lived experiences of the area’s past.
The project culminated in a collaborative Garston map, bringing together the children’s photographs, drawings and archive imagery. Families were invited to a final showcase, where the work was exhibited and shared, a celebration of the children’s creativity and their unique perspectives on Garston.
This project has been an exploration of creativity as a process, encouraging curiosity, experimentation and the idea that making does not need to be perfect, but present.
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Exhibition
The final exhibition brought together a range of work created throughout the project, including the large collaborative Garston map, original hapa zome prints, portraits, and a selection of the children’s photographs and mixed media pieces.
