Matt and Holly have been working alongside children in schools across Wokingham to co-create imaginative responses to themes of nature connection, biodiversity, and art. Each workshop has been a unique journey shaped by the students ideas, curiosity, and sense of wonder. Their collaborative artworks will be exhibited at the Forest of Imagination festival, where we’ll reunite to explore the event together and continue our shared creative journey. This evolving project celebrates children as artists and thinkers, honouring their voices and visions while fostering deep connections with the natural world through playful, meaningful, and expressive experiences.

At Highwood Primary School, Matt and Holly began the sessions with an exploration into “What is the Forest of Imagination,” letting the children lead the way. After showing them the designs for an “Eel Willow Tunnel” the class became really interested in making their own. We began small, experimenting with maquettes; exploring weaving techniques, forms and shapes. This encouraged us all to think about ‘dwellings’; sculptures you can experience, sit within or move through. We drew our designs big and threaded themes together, making one unified plan for a larger willow structure. This was constructed using local willow and a chipboard ‘base’ which we plugged the willow into while we were making its formwork. This was made over a number of sessions, along with some handmade essential oil perfumes, and some hanging lavender socks to give visitors to the structure a sensory experience.