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SOh, you want to introduce young children to art. Why don’t you relax? There are no white walls. There are no cable ties. There are no alarms. There are no managers of the necklace display. Lots of green space to walk around and find some amazing art while you’re there. There are a number of foreign art galleries that offer free art in the UK, but one above all is wanting. That’s right, it’s time for the baby to start the journey Yorkshire Sculpture Park (YSP).
Of course, my time is easy. When we go there, it’s the middle of February, and we don’t know. As we arrive at the parking lot, the sky is covered in a gray blanket of gray. The dripping starts as soon as we open our doors, and it doesn’t stop. As I push the cart uphill, struggling to get a grip as my boots slide through the mud, I briefly wonder if I should have kept this list this summer. But then I looked around me at the little riverbanks and ruins running around in Barbara Hepworths river, and I thought again.
Spread over the 18th century Bretton Hall area in West Yorkshire, YSP was the first of its kind in the UK. The founding director Peter Murray was a lecturer at Bretton Hall College when he came up with the first idea to place sculptures in the square and invite people to explore; since then, it has grown into the largest sculpture park in Europe. Covering 202 hectares (500 acres) of gardens, hills, forests, permanent gardens and two lakes, it is a modern and contemporary masterpiece created by the likes of Hepworth and Henry Moore, and international stars such as Bharti Kher and Sol LeWitt. Rain or shine, it welcomes museum lovers, dog walkers and people who just want to soak in the green. It is also very helpful for small children.
“We put a special focus on supporting families with babies and children under the age of five to bring play opportunities to the park,” says education governor Emma Spencer. When we visit, there are free activity sheets that encourage children to learn about trees and create their own art by drawing, peeling bark or collecting branches and leaves. There is also the Hidden Forest, designed with the under-fives in mind but open to all. “YSP is very large – it can be a lot for little legs – so the Hidden Forest, which is located inside, gives young children and their carers a chance to experience nature.”
It’s true: the park and more on the little legs, hence my persistence with our mud cart. And unlike the other kids, who accept that little older kids splash in the water, every time I put my son on the grass to enjoy the sculptures, he scrunches his nose and calls it “wetttttttt”.
But they enjoy it. Especially Vanessa da Silva’s Muamba Posya triptych of interactive colors that he quickly calls “playgrounds”. Children cannot, in fact, climb its pastel sides, but they can sit on it. It is said to be a “wah wah” (baby) curled up in Damien Hirst’s painted bronze. Mother Virginand a teddy (“Teddy, teddy, teddy!”) placed under YBA’s arm a girl holding an alms box nearby.
“It’s a very different way of approaching art,” Spencer says of the liberating experience of seeing sculptures in natural settings. “For young children, it’s obviously a long way, but more than anything they’re exposed to art, and they can lead, they can think, ‘Should I jump to that sculpture? They can do those things indoors, but it’s acceptable for kids to do it naturally when they’re outside. And the weather affects how the sculptures look.”
To tell the truth, the weather has changed, and we are tired and we have had lunch. There are several options to choose from, but we’re right next to Weston, which beckons us with a roaring fire (safely out of reach for little hands). As soon as we arrive, we are given crayons and paper. The children’s menu consists of everything from baked potatoes to chicken and chips, all served in a bucolic setting. There’s plenty of room for my son to run around in here, which he does – and no one flinches.
By the time we finish, it’s still cold and wet, so instead of crossing over to the lake, we return to the fields around the reception area. We weave our way in between William Kentridge’s Paper Processiona group of six graceful sculptures walk in front of an ancient yew hedge. My son shines at Daniel Arsham’s Bronze Eroded Bunnymodeled after a Bugs Bunny-style toy, standing proudly in a garden setting: “Jump, jump, jump!”
If the heavens open, do not despair. Inside the museum are small bags and baskets filled with activities and inspiration. Underground Gallery has a studio dedicated to creating your art. More offers are also included Sculpture Child – an informative session that takes place once a month – and Storytelling in the Gallery, with stories inspired by exhibitions.
But, really, the talent waiting to be discovered across the country is hard to beat. (As are the animals – did I mention there are cows and mountain sheep?) The works change subtly in the natural light, and although they are often very large, they are not scary, they are very close, out here. I feel that in the years to come, my son will benefit greatly. Playing a carving site. Jumping between them. Considering how he feels.
And the best thing? After all that fresh air, she sleeps the entire two-hour drive home… Bliss.
