Hepworth Garden Play

A project to develop a play resource for the new garden at Hepworth Wakefield designed by Tom Stuart-Smith.

To provide a first point of engagement with sculpture for family visitors, and to give local families a sense of ownership.

Garden Play was developed in collaboration with Studio Polpo and The Hepworth Wakefield. Initially engaging in a long term research project with families that live in close proximity to the gallery, the local nursery, children centre and community events nearby.

In a series of research workshops, we explored materials and processes inspired by Barbara Hepworth. We observed how the children and families engage with different materials and how they worked creatively together.

This resulted in a set of resources that invite families to stop in the beautiful garden spaces outside the gallery, to re-centre, be calm and engage in open ended, self-led activities together. Skills that children like to repeat and perfect have been incorporated into the design of the play resource, such as posting, stacking, building, threading and mark-making. And activities that encourage families to explore the garden paths, plants and sculptures.

‘Stack, build, experiment, draw and imagine with your family in the open air. Be inspired by the garden’s artworks and plants, the weather and buildings around you’

Supported by the Liz & Terry Bramall Foundation