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Community Making Space Blog: Stone Club

SSW - Stone Club

Our Kids Holiday Clubs are an integral part of our Community Making Space Programme here at SSW and provide an important pathway for young people to get into workshop spaces. They take place every school holiday and are open to 7-12 year olds and 12 – 17 year olds. This summer we were delighted to have kicked off the holiday programme with Stone Club – a chance for local teens to try their hands at stone carving. Over the summer and tattie holidays they made good use of our bespoke, accessible bankers and new stone carving tools to make some amazing low relief carvings.

Artist and stonemason Lewis Morrison has been working with SSW over the last year, alongside undertaking residency time to develop his artistic practice, and has been devising and facilitating Stone Club. 

He writes:

It’s been great to introduce stonecarving to young people who have never done it before and share my enjoyment and enthusiasm for working with stone. Together we have transformed 2d images into stone by cutting levels, incising details and even designing our own masons marks.

Having not been exposed to the craft until my mid twenties it has been a pleasure to share a practice that isn’t widely available in more traditional, educational environments. 

Stone carving not only opens us up to exploring new materials and working in 3D but provides important opportunities to connect with the outdoors, tap into the possibilities of what simple tools can create and tune into a more mindful state of being. 

I very much look forward to seeing our Stone Club crew develop their artistic skills over the coming years. 

One participant also describes their experience:

I absolutely loved Stone Club. It’s given me a real sense of achievement and I am going to ask for my own carving tools for Christmas to continue carving at home. I am looking forward to learning more and starting to work with 3d.

Stone carving at SSW continues to be available through our Group Residency programmes. If you are interested in learning more or any young want to have a go get in touch with us on communities@ssw.org.uk

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