Trash Monsters
A sculpture exhibition in Casehill Woods made using rubbish collected from woodlands, beaches, and streets, to ward off littering and fly-tipping.
Each monster represented the creator’s “soul” or “anima” (see Carl Jung) and students took part in activities such as guided meditation to find their “soul-name”, or inner monster.
Students’ discoveries about their inner monsters formed the basis of the Trash Monsters’ biographies, which were presented alongside each sculpture.
This immersive 14-week process formed a creative frame for the whole term, with offerings and workshops and music and play all exploring the idea of monsters: think Mary Shelley, Suede, Carl Jung, and Donald Trump.
Students and their families collected trash, cleaned and prepared it for use as materials, and then constructed their sculptures on site in the woods. To protect our monsters, families took turns to wild camp and ward off any evil spirits who might be threatened by our monsters.
Finally, students devised a short theatre piece to get across their message loud and clear, and made jewellery from trash to sell and raise funds for the project.
