Graphic Design students used outdoor space at Jupiter Artland near Edinburgh for creative inspiration and to boost health and wellbeing recently.
Organised by Kirsteen Wright a total of 23 students from the first and second year HND Graphic Design courses and also some from the NC Graphic Design course, visited the outdoor educational and exhibition area on Wednesday 9 March.
Kirsteen explained: “Last year I applied for an educational visit to Jupiter Artland and was successful – it’s currently closed for the winter, but they open for educational visits. It’s an amazing large sculpture park where the students get to interact with the artwork and also take part in a workshop with the learning coordinators at Jupiter.
“A full day tour and workshop on the artist Richard Long gave the students an opportunity to sketch and photograph outdoors and engage in an activity across different year groups, which they haven’t had the opportunity to do this year due to restrictions.
“After two years of mostly online learning getting the students together gave a boost to morale and student community, got them interacting with each other and helped with health and wellbeing through outdoor activity. Jupiter Artland is a beautiful place and outdoor learning allows a multi-sensory and experiential approach, encouraging young people to become involved in emotional, physical, aesthetic, spiritual and cognitive experiences as part of their learning. We’re looking forward to seeing how they bring this experience back to their design work on campus.
“The trip was amazing to get all the students together across the year groups and to spend time outdoors, especially in one of my favourite places. The final workshop was a circular walk which needed a system i.e. writing a word every 20 steps etc. Many of the students choose to write a word every time they heard laughter – there were many stops to write words and that surely sums up a good day out and an excellent student experience.”
HND Student, Cat Kerr, said: “I really enjoyed my trip to Jupiter Artland. The guided tour was engaging and informative, learning not only about the works and the makers behind them, but also exploring our own interpretations of the works, and how their meaning can change based on their setting. The interactive workshop in the afternoon allowed us to really connect with the landscape and brought an awareness to the sights, sounds and smells around us.
“It also gave me inspiration for a personal poster I'm now working on. The day overall was a really worthwhile day out, reconnecting with nature and appreciating art and sculpture in a new setting, and a very welcome break from my computer screen.”
Kenneth Russell who is on the NC Creative Industries Graphic Design course, said: “Our trip to Jupiter Artland was nothing short of a thoroughly invigorating and thought-provoking voyage through the minds of some of the world's most unique artists. Being amongst such a picturesque locale is outstanding enough, let alone when such lovely rural surrounds are punctuated by such stimulating, inspiring and wondrous artwork.
“From the Hansel and Gretel-esque trail through the woods to the fabulously twisted MiMi Store, all the way to the wildly grotesque Love Bomb towering amidst the wind-swept Pentlands, there was always another wonder waiting around every twist and turn. A fabulous little corner of the world that is only enhanced by the fantastically volatile Scottish weather. Oh, and the staff were great, and the toilets were clean. Five stars!”
