Bovington Academy’s waste art workshop with Dorset’s Darrell Wakelam sees students produce sculpture of phoenix rising from ashes

Primary pupils have been taught how to appreciate the beauty of waste art following a workshop with Dorset artist Darrell Wakelam.

Mr Wakelam spent time showing talented Year 5 and Year 6 students at Bovington Academy how to create relief sculptures of a phoenix rising from the ashes in a symbolic nod to the subject of renewal.

The session was organised by Samantha Armstrong, art lead at the Wareham-based school, who told the Dorset Echo: “We were lucky enough to have Darryl on site with a group of gifted and talented Year 5 and 6 pupils.

“He spent the day with us developing relief sculptures of the phoenix, as a nod to renewal in terms of the phoenix being born from the ashes of fire.

“He started by showing the pupils how to build a frame for their sculpture, then worked through various stages until the final product was almost complete. This involved papier mache and painting. The work was completed by Bovington Academy’s art club pupils.”

The workshop was part of a Purbeck Young Artists (PYA) initiative with the organisation also meeting the cost. The final sculptures will be exhibited on the PYA circuit before being returned to Bovington permanently. The work produced by Mr Wakelam also tied in neatly with this year’s PYA theme: Renewal.

Miss Armstrong said: “Purbeck Young Artists exists to celebrate and promote the arts amongst young people of all ages in the Purbeck area. I chose the artist workshop from Darrell Wakelam because he has used lockdown to create an unrivalled collection of arty ideas rather like recipes that will encourage and inspire children of all ages to use rubbish to create art.

“It was a joy to have a working artist demonstrate and speak to the students and teach the children his craft.

“Darrell was a consummate professional with a few years of teaching under his belt now. His work is exciting, new and sustainable – which is wonderful in this day and age!”

Year 5 student Grace Luckman said she particularly enjoyed learning how to make the 3D element of the sculpture: “The papier mache was brilliant fun. I thoroughly enjoyed the day and learned loads!”