School Workshops
The area around the Wittenham Clumps, Brightwell Barrow and the Dyke Hills are a rich historical and cultural resource, and as such present school children with an ideal learning opportunity, on their doorstep.
We approached three primary schools to partner with HENGE22- Settlement, all within a five-mile radius of The Wittenham Clumps. We anticipated the children would know the sites already but may be unaware of their national significance.
The Schools were Abbey Woods Academy, Berinsfield, Dorchester St Birinus Primary School, Brightwell cum Sotwell CofE Primary School and Long Wittenham C of E Primary School.
The whole day workshops started with an extended assembly introducing the pupils to HENGE21, its history, music including artefacts loaned from local museums.
Workshops followed using the basic materials of clay and wood, cane and paint. Poet James Carter also worked with the pupils on the important theme of Rivers.
Pupils were invited to participate in HENGE22 during the Autumn term, bringing their artwork as a contribution to the Performances. We are grateful to the Headteachers for partnering with us on HENGE22-Settlement.
Artist Opportunity – The brief
Henge21 are looking for land artists to create site specific work to be exhibited in September 2021 during a collaborative multi disciplinary installation on the site with the theme of Settlement. This is a unique opportunity for emerging and established artists to respond to the Dyke Hills and more specifically the meaning of the space.
Following the success of HENGE19 which was a pilot, the main event is planned for September 2022. HENGE 22: Settlement will be a larger event, set in the Dyke Hills with contributions of drama, dance, performance, music and poetry. Visual artwork will be both live and online.
Artists will need to create work that can be on site for a period to be agreed and use materials that do not interfere or damage the landscape.
Proposals need to include a copy of your CV, a covering letter on how you propose to respond and use the landscape and up to 5 images of your practice that support your application.
Visit our contact page to get in touch.
Nicholas Hamilton – Land Artist
“The space between the Dyke Hills creates vistas along an east west axis suggesting the bed of an ancient, diverted river. Here, there is a sense of being removed from the strict geometry of the surrounding fields.
My piece will be made of two elements; a line and rectangle to contrast with the curves and swirls of the surrounding topography. I intend the rectangle and line will be made of 124 London bricks laid on wooden planks. In each brick there will be a single delicate paper image covered by glass.
At night I want to create a sense of looking at X-ray images in each of the brick faces, These images will include, plants, leaf shapes and other sources of food that might have made up the diet of ancient settlers in this area.
Philip Koomen – Furniture Designer-Maker
The five-pointed star, a universal symbol of humankind, is the inspiration for this structure. The form, four metres in diameter, creates a liminal space where the sacred and the secular converge. Here is a space to reflect on the past, present and future.
My henge-like structure, reminds us of that journey and creates a space for conversation and reflection about what we can learn from our history; where we are now and what we want to become.
Artist Teacher Practice Settlement
This exhibition documents a virtual studio day attended by all 3 year groups and alumni at Oxford Brookes University led by Dionne Freeman Artist and working in partnership with HENGE21 and The Pitt Rivers Museum.
Artists spent the day responding to the theme of Settlement. The artists were asked to watch pre-recorded content and engage in activities set within each video focusing on interpreting the word ‘settlement’. This included Neolithic site of The Dyke Hills in Oxfordshire as a part of the Henge21 project and a conversation about the collections at Pitt Rivers Museum and the many ways of thinking about Settlement within the museum.
The Artists then formed arts collectives and worked collaboratively to create a group response to present. The work display includes the exploratory preparatory work and the group responses.
All work was produced across a 3-hour period and the collaborations took place virtually.
Go here to find out more: https://www.artsteps.com/embed/601a8fa80b38d1245cfb6d97/560/315
Click on the icons below to visit our social media pages.
Henge Festival 