Yorkshire Sculpture Park has an exciting summer program for families to enjoy during the school holidays. Drawing inspiration from the gallery exhibitions, the program aims to ignite creativity, curiosity, and moments of wonder for all ages. From family raves and sculpting with wax and clay to experiencing giant foam bubbles, there’s something for everyone.
The summer program will run daily until the end of summer, concluding with a special closing event on Saturday, 2nd September. Among the activities, aspiring artists can participate in live painting sessions with Natasha Joseph, contributing to a collective Wonderwall of individually coloured panels. Family Life Drawing sessions with Jo Blaker, a Rangoli Radio Meditation Workshop, and family-oriented creative writing sessions are also available throughout the day.
Leeds-based poet and illustrator Matthew Hodson will hold a Poetry Reading session for families, featuring readings from his collection of nonsense poems, “Forwards Always,” which is not just a book but also a toy, script, game, and puzzle designed for interactive play.
In addition to these events, there’s Abigail Burt’s project, Lost-Wax for Lost-Species, at the Bothy Gallery, where visitors can create wax sculptures of endangered or vulnerable animals to reflect on climate issues and species loss.
Other exciting activities include Roger Hiorns’ “A Retrospective View of the Pathway,” which transforms the landscape with massive bubbles of foam twice daily. The “Sound Wave Collider” offers a multi-sensory experience featuring sounds of living organisms, plants’ biofeedback, and electronically processed birdsong.
Visitors can also enjoy Guerilla Calligraphy, a captivating collaboration between Arabic script calligrapher Razwan Ul-Haq and Qawwali and Sufi music expert Dipak Mistry.
Cat Scott’s “Inner Horizons” allows participants to step inside a bubble and experience a magical and fluid landscape within the Boathouse.
On National Play Day (Wednesday, 2nd August), visitors can engage in Outdoor Sculpture Building: Come Rain Come Shine to create their own large sculptures. Families can also collect playful ideas from the ArtCart or explore the Hidden Forest for Sculpture Adventures designed for children under 5.
For a shared moment of joy and connection through music and movement, families can join the one-off outdoor Family Rave with Jason Singh on Saturday afternoon, 5th August. On Sunday, 6th August, Jason will lead mindful listening walks, allowing visitors to connect with and appreciate the sounds of the natural world.
YSP Associate Director Helen Pheby said: “Curiosity & Wonder encourages fun and imaginative ways of engaging with the world around us, and there is really something for everyone whether you enjoy playing, creating, participating or simply relaxing and watching the world go by.”
All Curiosity & Wonder daytime activities and events are free and included with YSP admission.*
25s and under have free entry. To book tickets and find out about the full programme with dates visit www.ysp.org.uk
*with the exception of the evening dining experiences at The Weston. Bookable in advance.
