Fresh Air Sculpture Show

In support of the very last Fresh Air Sculpture Show, The Arts Society Corinium funded two art workshops for school age students as part of the educational arm of the sculpture show.  This year’s theme was Carnival of the Animals. 

What a carnival it was! Under the shade of a large tree, which was very welcome on such a hot day, the students were shown how to create animals using mainly pipe-cleaners and clay. The engagement and imagination of the students was wonderful to see. Initially, the students created a framework for their own animals using the brightly coloured pipe-cleaners attached to stiff card. Interestingly the Year 1 students I observed very quickly picked up on the engineering element of needing a strong base to support their creature’s body, with many choosing to make creatures with far more legs than one would normally see in the natural world.  

Once the framework was in place the students were then encouraged to form a head and a body by applying clay over the framework. Off-cuts of fabric added colour and decoration to their creatures and eyes on the creature’s head were the finishing touch. 

On the day of my visit, the many creatures made that day included a giraffe, a flamingo, an octopus, a unicorn, and a creature from the film Star Wars (I didn’t catch its name). This session was a wonderful way for encouraging young students to have the confidence to create. 

 Sarah Storer

22 June 2026