Chatsworth sculptures light creative fire in schoolchildren

Hundreds of schoolchildren have helped create huge new interactive sculptures in the grounds of Chatsworth House, which is part of the Devonshire Group.

More than 500 schoolchildren have been involved in creating and building three new sculptures, which now form part of the Radical Horizons: The Art of Burning Man exhibition, which has been running in Chatsworth’s parkland since April.

They worked alongside artists from the exhibition to create the new works thanks to sessions organised by Chatsworth’s in-house learning and engagement team.

Kerry Fernandez, Chatworth’s arts and engagement manager, said: “This has been a wonderful experience for many children and young people who had never visited Chatsworth before.

“They have been given a rare opportunity to engage with contemporary art and artists, while learning new skills and techniques.

“We hope it will draw them into a lifelong engagement with the arts which can open their eyes to seeing things in new ways.”

The latest additions to Radical Horizons make a total of 12 works spread across a site more than a mile long and half a mile wide and set in parkland surrounding the house at the Derbyshire estate.

The exhibition runs until 1 October when it will close with the ceremonial burning of the new sculpture Relevé to symbolise the ‘letting go’ of the exhibition.

The ceremony follows a tradition set by the global Burning Man event in Nevada, which sees teams of volunteers gathering in the desert to create new artworks.

A nine-metre-high structure built primarily in wood by the artist Rebekah Waites with hundreds of children from local schools, Relevé was inspired by Derbyshire folklore that says a bronze age stone circle near Chatsworth was formed from the remains of nine ladies turned into stone for dancing on the Sabbath.

Alongside Relevé, schoolchildren have worked on-site at Chatsworth with US artists Shrine, Dana Albany, Heather Henderson, Flash Hopkins, and Kathy Richardson to create and build the two further works – Coralee and Elysian Towers.

To find out more about Radical Horizons: The Art of Burning Man exhibition visit https://www.chatsworth.org/events/burning-man/.