Education

Karen teaches with clay, plants and wood . Environmental arts offer us the opportunity to make ritual a living and evolving feature of our lives. Nature is the only true container for wildness. It shows us again and again that we can survive even the most difficult transitions.

Growing food on a small scale has increased enormously in the last few years, and even more so in the last 6 months and stands as an act of psychological and physical survival. . Let hope this could be the turning point away from the agri-industrial complex, as we consider our health, and resist further infringements on our rights and access to land.

The growing and harvesting of food is a creative endeavour and inspires adults and children alike. To the cook outside, on an open fire, or in a clay oven adds another rich layer to the experience.

Karen uses a wide range of resources for her educational programmes: making sculptures from wood means learning to saw and use hammers and nails, making artwork and trellis from greenwoods, allows us to get a feel for the natural materials around us and skills like knot tying and teamwork.

Painting on a large scale allows for experimentation and experiential learning: the process is the important thing - by using your whole body while painting, and playing with colour, using hands and feet etc is physical and fun.

Raw clay is another physical and messy process used when making a clay pizza oven or roundhouse. It’s an archaic activity that reminds us of an historic self, as does fire-making and eating outside.

Using ancient architecture techniques and medieval cooking processes, new skills will be discovered in the student.