This year’s Young Arts project gave an opportunity to six pupils from William Gilpin School and 6 pupils from Lymington Junior School (and myself) the opportunity to learn a new skill of weaving.
The project took place at Artsway and was led by Brigitte – an accomplished weaver.
The pupils learned how to work on a rigid heddle loom and create a piece of weaving of their own design and creation. The looms were already threaded with the warp as this would have taken too long for the pupils to do. Brigitte had provided a vast array of wools and threads for the pupils to choose from.
After a few minutes of hesitation they soon understood the opportunities and began to create very individual pieces of weaving. Some pupils chose to stay with a very controlled colour choice and pattern
whilst others opted to experiment with colour and texture. 
The quiet and concentration in the rooms that lasted the whole day showed us how focussed they were and they were all incredibly proud of their results – as were Brigitte and the rest of us. The pupils also had the opportunity to work on a 4 heddle loom.
An additional bonus was that the project in Artsway gave them an opportunity to look at the display of work by local artists focussing on interpretations of the new Forest. They were also able to walk around the garden and see the artworks on display there. Without doubt this was a very rewarding and valuable day for all involved
