Out of Nature is all about getting people involved with sculpture in natural settings, so during each show we offer a programme of hands-on workshops and activities for all ages.
Many of the workshops and other events are free.
Art workshops with exhibiting artists
At Out of Nature 2017 the workshops on offer included a six-day course on sculpting in bronze with Tim Rawlins, guiding participants through playing with materials, creative ideas, sculpting, casting and finishing, ending with a beautiful finished bronze to take home. Ceramicist Julia Hilton showed how to make clay butter dishes with impressions of plants picked locally – a technique that she uses in her own work to great effect. And Helen Malia ran a two-hour boat making session, teaching both older children and adults how to make their own boat sculpture from willow.
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Performance art
Alarch by Clare Parry-Jones was an immersive, site-responsive theatre experience exploring stories of the land and of the heart. A ritual journey of loss and transformation.
Alarch is Welsh for ‘swan’, a creature that spans the worlds of water, land and air, seen as a messenger of the gods in Celtic and Northern cultures. Parry-Jones used this imagery and symbolism in the piece, which took place around the lake in Newport House’s grounds.
Talks, ‘in conversation’ events and panel discussions
Talks at Out of Nature 2017 included professional statue-maker and portrait sculptor Mark Richards in conversation with former Principal of Hereford College of Art Richard Heatly about his work; author and garden historian Kate FeluÅ? in a richly illustrated talk on how the house and its people have developed and changed over the centuries, to coincide with the publication of her book on Newport House; and author and illustrator Jackie Morris speaking about her book Lost Words, celebrating the natural world and its myriad words, threatened by the continued prevalence of technology.
Garden talks
Lynette Choppin, Gardener at Newport House, presented her essential guide to composting and its place in the garden’s ecosystem, in workshops taking place in the walled garden. Head Gardener Dave Gray led tours of Newport House’s beautiful grounds and restored Walled Garden. And Adèle Nozedar, author of The Hedgerow Handbook, led her popular foraging walks around the grounds of Newport House.
The Winds of Change: 30 Years Since The Great Storm – A Greenwood Revival
Mike Abbott, Gudrun Leitz and many other artists and experts in wood demonstrated and spoke about their skills and methods at this special weekend celebrating all things Tree.
Fun for children
There is always plenty to do for smaller visitors, and at the 2017 show we were joined by some friendly live owls, courtesy of Sasa from Hereford Owl Rescue. A Halloween workshop offered Halloween lantern making, monster making and skulls on sticks, all made from air-drying clay and decorated with paints.
Lunches & Cream Teas
Light lunches, soups, cakes and cream teas (made from produce from the walled garden at Newport House) are served every day during the exhibition, 10.30am–5.30pm.
Schools Visits
We welcome schools visits to Out of Nature, and they are free of charge. You can bring a picnic to have in the gardens (or under a shelter in case of inclement weather).
If you’d like a guided visit, there is a small charge of £30. We can also arrange a workshop for up to 30 children with an artist (for example, soap carving or land art) at a cost of £130. For more information please contact jenny@thecartshed.co.uk.