The first workshop I did with pupils at Fox Hollies school was designed to introduce the project: what I was doing there, and what that had to do with the ambitious changes planned for the school site. Plans have been expanding for a couple of years to develop the green spaces around the schools- Fox Hollies shares a site with Queensbridge school- into a place to grow food, promote sustainbalilty and conservation, train students in horticultural skills, and extend use of the site around the year and to the wider community.

I wanted to work with students to see if we could use photography to contribute to a brief to commission a classroom/gardening workspace/ multipurpose building there, that would be in keeping with the ethos of what was happening. And make some interesting photographic art to show for it along the way. We looked at and played with various cameras, discussed architecture and the relationship between buildings and people, and looked at different ways of making buildings, and had a good, fun time, which made me less nervous about how it was going to turn out, as I’d been concerned the whole thing might end up seeming very contrived… I don’t think it did, and, between torrential downpours, we got some photos taken and engaged with the space outside, looking at the forms of things that were found out there.

Danny, a lad in the afternoon group, was really keen to take photos, and when we were outside, photographing the shape of a willow branch, likened it to a rooftop from which the rain would drip to water the plants planted around its perimeter. That really made my day. The next workshop is this week.