On Sunday 13 March we unveiled a huge outdoor artwork as the grand finale of a week of workshops with local groups led by artist Gemma Holland and animator Patricia West. The aim of the project was to bridge the gap between sport and art. Activities included martial arts and football, and the final sculptural piece was a reflection of what the Olympics and Paralympics mean to the local community. The project was part of the MLA's People's Record programme.

The unveiling event took place on the field of the Deep Mill Diner and was a huge success. Here are some photographs of the artwork being created.

Generating ideas

Our Ideas Sharing event at The Misbourne School with the Talented Students was a great success. The event took place before the week of workshops to get the creative juices flowing. The session resulted in some fantastic visuals and 3D experimentation as you can see in these photos.

Creating the artwork

The artwork was divided into 5 sections and created by the performance of the 5 different sports.

Day 1
Gym and dance

Created with the help of Mr Walters and pupils at Great Missenden C of E Combined school. The day was spent learning a dance choreographed by professional dancer Nicky Short. The children then looked at how the movements and shapes found in gymnastics could inspire them to create their artwork. They also used rhythmic ribbons and hoops to create marks on the board.

Day 2
Cycling

The pupils at Great Missenden C of E Combined school began the day by cycling around the playground under the watchful eye of Sustrans Bike It officer Lucie Taylor. They then discovered bike maintenance and played games ready to inspire their own artwork. The second piece was created by painting bicycle wheels and helmets and using them to create marks on the board.

Day 3
Martial arts

With help from instructor Christy and her class at Bytomic Tae Kwon Do Club in High Wycombe we were able to create a very dynamic third piece of artwork. The sessions started with an energetic warm-up and resulted in kicks and punch marks being created on the board inspired by martial art movements.

Day 4
Athletics

The fourth day involved scout leader Martin Everitt and the 1st Prestwood Scouts looking at the history behind the Olympics and using the traditional events of javelin, wrestling and running to inspire their artwork. The boys used parts of their bodies to cover in paint and create marks on the board similar to the actions surrounding certain athletic events.

Day 5
Football

On the last day coach Darren and his U11s team at Ballinger Bombers Football Club created the final piece of the puzzle. They began with a warm-up and football skills session ready to inspire them to get creative. They then covered footballs with piant and tried to score by kicking them against the board. Goalkeeper gloves and netting were also used to create marks on the board.

The Museum worked closely with local organisation Connect4 and project leader Jennie Joy who organises activities for children and young people.