Some of the children in Year 6 were extremely lucky to take part in a sculpture workshop at ‘The Henry Moore Studios and Gardens’ in Hertfordshire. The children watched a short video to learn about the artist and the creation of the Henry Moore foundation before being challenged, in groups, to create a sculpture using foam pieces of different shapes and sizes. All groups worked well as a team to create three completely different sculptures.  

Out in the garden, the children viewed some of the artist’s sculptures and were encouraged to use their imaginations to think about the form and what it could represent. They walked around the sculptures to find the best view and used their hands to feel the smooth and textured surfaces. On their return to the studio, the children collected natural objects - a stone, a twig or a leaf - which they studied to complete a 2D drawing. They then added to the shape and used shading to add depth in order to turn their sketch into a 3D drawing.  

The children had fun (and got very messy!) using terracotta clay to create a small sculpture inspired by their natural form, the sculptures viewed earlier and their own imaginations. They were given the option of adding to their sculpture or creating another slightly larger one. Finally, the children had the opportunity to explore the gardens and view the rest of the sculptures.  

Quoted below are some of the children’s reflections about the experience.  

‘I found it a really exciting experience as we could go up close to the actual real sculptures instead of just looking at a picture or a video. We got to make our own mini clay models inspired by Henry Moore’s artwork. Mine was an abstract model of a woman cradling her child.‘ Troy 

‘Henry Moore’s sculptures were extremely interesting; we were able to touch them, guess what they were and feel the textures.’ Olivia 

‘The Henry Moore sculpture garden was very interesting. My favourite part was creating my own sculpture since we had to base it on a natural object.’ Hollie 

‘I found it really interesting that we got to learn about Henry Moore and I enjoyed making my own mini sculpture.’ Isabella