Community nests for winter

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Vicki Bampfield-Hammond with Arts Well director Jayne Howard

An organisation in Cornwall has been feathering its nest with a large interactive art project and inviting the community to get involved.

Arts Well, which promotes the valuable role that arts, culture and creativity makes to health and wellbeing, has been building a giant nest over the past few weeks, at Jubilee Wharf in Penryn.

Inviting neighbouring businesses and other local organisations to lend a hand, the giant nest is part of the national Fun Palaces initiative, which celebrates creativity to promote wellbeing throughout the year, culminating in a week of celebrations each October.

Made with willow and hazel branches, along with many helping hands, the giant nest was unveiled last Friday (October 14) when people were invited to hop in and experience a sense of calm and wellbeing.

Vicki Bampfield-Hammond, programme coordinator for Arts Well, explained: “A nest is a symbol of both creativity and nurture, perfect to bring our working and residential communities together, which it absolutely has! Arts Well strongly believes that being creative helps maintain and improve health and wellbeing.

“We wanted to get involved with Fun Palaces, which has complementary aims, where initiatives are led by local people for their communities. We felt a giant nest was really appropriate for us, as everyone who wanted to get involved could, nurturing creativity, inclusivity and community spirit.”

Now complete, the nest will rest on Jubilee Wharf in Penryn for people to enjoy for Christmas, when fairy lights and decorations will be added, before it is relocated to its forever home in the New Year.

Arts Well is now looking for the ideal location for the nest’s permanent site for 2023; made from natural and biodegradable materials, it can nestle into and be embraced by the natural environment over time, so that people can continue to visit and interact with the structure.

Arts Well is a non-profit organisation based in Cornwall championing the role of the arts and creativity in promoting health and wellbeing, working with organisations to develop projects, programmes and services that improve health and the wellbeing of individuals, groups and communities.