The Haunted Shak 2022 by Clare Walton in Sydney

Created with year 3 students at a small regional school in NSW as part of the Sydney Opera House's Creative Learning in Schools Program. 2 days a week over a school term I collaborated with students to create the Haunted Shak. Using measured risky and child-led play as they key art tools the children were the lead artists and designers. Each child was taught how to safely use the tools, passed their tool test and then entered the building site. Scaffolded by me and their teacher they collaborated together to build, paint and decorate their Haunted Shak. The Shak was one of the key installations created by students across the school for their annual Winter Solstice Lantern Festival The installation featured a witches cauldron, a collection of magic potions, a book of instructions and was lite up for the night with fairy lights and they installed a sound installation adding an eerie atmosphere to the work that drew the audience in. Materials: recycled and reclaimed timbers, pallets, recycled fabrics, wool, branches, found objects and viponds fluro paints. Various sizes.