There is something special about seeing an artwork come alive through play.

We loved seeing the Riverside School interact with the The Golden Valley Sundial as part of the Seasons of the Land schools project at Hellens Manor, led by the wonderful Kat Terry.

At the heart of the session was The Golden Valley Sundial, a large-scale, interactive artwork by artists Chris Poolman and Grace Emily Manning, as part of the Our Place Golden Valley project.

Created with communities across the Golden Valley, Herefordshire’s most remote, south-west corner, this outdoor installation brings together sculpture, game-play and storytelling. Inspired by folk history, farming traditions and life in rural Herefordshire, the work features twelve new folk-icons shaped by stories and knowledge shared by members of the rural community.

Made using natural and locally sourced materials, including cob, wool and plant dyes, The Golden Valley Sundial draws on the area’s distinctive landscape, wildlife and historic monuments. Designed to be encountered, explored and played with, the work offers new ways to connect with the stories held within the land.

Chris Poolman and Grace Emily Manning developed the project over many months through regular and pop-up workshops with local residents. Staff and members of Peterchurch Youth Club were instrumental in this process, bringing a collaborative spirit and a vision for the Golden Valley that runs throughout the finished work.

Seeing the Riverside School take up the Sundial Games as part of Seasons of the Land continued this spirit of participation, giving pupils the opportunity to experience the artwork through movement, imagination and play.

Commissioned by Meadow Arts as part of Our Place Golden Valley, the project celebrates creativity, local knowledge and community collaboration in rural Herefordshire.

Our Place Golden Valley is a Meadow Arts project. It is part of the Our Place Herefordshire programme funded by the National Lottery through Arts Council England, with match funding from Herefordshire Council and Hereford City Council.

Photos by Natalie Jolley.