Author Archives: Jane Porter

Boats small and large

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The National Trust London Voices workshops start again next week with families from Liberty school in Mitcham, with a theme of ‘journeys’. Each family is going to make a boat like this sample I’ve been testing, and they will decorate it with their own family stories ready for a boat race on the Wandle at Morden Hall Park in March. Today I had a meeting at the park with sculptor Simon Kent – he will be creating a huge carved wooden ‘story boat’, and I will be working with him to incorporate some of the families’ work into the design. This project is going to be very exciting!

Reigate residency

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I’ve just finished a residency at Reigate Sixth Form College, working with a group of BTEC students on an animal-inspired theme. I was really pleased with the work they produced – one student even got a commission from the local natural history museum we visited for observational drawing at the start of the project. 

Here are some of the end results, ranging from a set of cards to an installation of giant owl eyes.

Wandle Lantern Festival

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Nearly 100 lanterns floated down the Wandle at dusk in Morden Hall Park as a celebration of the term’s work with the School Arts Partntership between Wimbledon Chase Primary, Cricket Green School in Mitcham and the National Trust. The weather was perfect, cold and clear, and in the end the filming of the new Stephen Poliakoff drama at the Snuff Mill didn’t interfere too much, though it was funny to see actors in 1940s clothing wandering about. Delicious pumpkin soup made by the students at Cricket Green warmed everyone up afterwards. Thanks to Erica, John and Zigi for their invaluable help getting the lanterns out of the water again at the end, and to Nick for these photos, and especially to all the children who took part for making such beautiful lanterns.