As part of Spring Term Donaldson Week, and with the support of the Calne Girls Association and the Art Society Wessex, we hosted a two-day sculpture workshop for our Art Scholars and visiting local primary school pupils. The workshops, led by visiting sculptor Judy Boyt, guided students in creating their own small clay maquette inspired by the Cherhill White Horse. 

There are many memories, stories and photographs of the White Horse at Cherhill recorded in our school archives and all our pupils have a connection with this important local landmark – either as a training route as part of DofE, passing on the way/to from school or seeing it in the distance from their dorms. As part of our 150th celebrations, we wish to celebrate and connect with our rural landscape and local community as well as our Wiltshire heritage, and the Cherhill White Horse is certainly a unique and very special feature of our locality.

To begin, Judy Boyt showed a range of her own sketches, sketchbooks, bronzes and self-created anatomical structures. The Art Scholars found these truly inspirational and used them well as resources to develop their entries for the competition. On Day Two, Scholars then supported the younger visiting children (all in Year 5) to create their own models in a truly collaborative way.

All the pieces, which are now on display in the Lumi Library until tomorrow afternoon, were judged by Judy, representatives from the Art Society Wessex, as well as Mrs Vicky Wilson (Governor) and Mrs Diana Harrison, Senior Deputy Head.  The winning piece – by Sophie, Art Scholar, LVI – will be scaled up and made in bronze resin as a new permanent sculpture for the Lime Kiln Garden.  The runner up piece – by Josephine from St Margaret’s Prep – will be replicated as a miniature bronze resin for the winner to keep.

'The White Horse Sculpture Project has put me outside of my comfort zone and has challenged me to try new things that otherwise I would not have experienced. I now know more about how to overcoming challenges and have been given the ability to take on responsibility, learned to have a go at new things, as well as learning new techniques and developing my skill set,' St Mary's Art Scholar.

More information will follow regarding the scaling up of the winning piece and there are plans to produce a number of limited-edition miniature bronzes which will raise money for the Chrysalis Campaign.