Workshops
Following on from the school workshops a group of 15 children self selected themselves to attend six weekly sessions in the Campbell Works project space, contributing physically and conceptually to the building of the final installation.
In order to gain an understanding of the intended scale of the installation and its physical impact on the individual, the children first created models of maze-like structures out of cardboard and used small plastic characters wandering through the spaces to represent themselves.
They then went on to design the labyrinth and explored different floor plan options, using hundreds of sticks and giant cardboard sheets to build architectural muck-ups. Lead artists Harriet Murray and Neil Taylor used these models as the starting point to create the final installation design.
The building of the final installation took place alongside the workshops enabling the children to experience the physical changes in the space and allowing them to redirect the development of the labyrinth when they felt it necessary.
Parallel to the building process, the participating children received an introduction to flash animating, working in groups of two or three together with animator Maf'J Alvarez to create an extraordinary series of animations out of their own electro-chemical brain drawings.
"In these workshops the children were permitted to let their minds roam free and graphically depict what they imagined the brain looked like and what might actually be happening inside our heads while we are engaging in the business of everyday life.
I joined one of these workshops armed with a 3D model of the brain. I was genuinely surprised at the impressive level of knowledge demonstrated by the children, particularly on basic brain structure and neuronal functioning."
Dr. Elaine Beattie
