Our wonderful resident artist, Anne Marie Galmstrup, has produced a final artwork as her residency project, Time for Play, draws to a close.
Watch this video to find out about her latest playful design activity. If you’d like to try this yourself, you will only need a roll of masking tape, recycled materials and a window! What can you find around your home?
ANNE MARIE GALMSTRUP, TIME FOR PLAY RESIDENCY PROJECT
Anne Marie started her V&A Museum of Childhood residency project, Time for Play, in January 2020. Throughout her time at the V&A, she has created opportunities for play using the museum’s building. Look at her blog posts to see the artworks she created, including a piece inspired by the building’s floor patterns, and her magical Wind Machines that animated the outdoor space.
Through these artworks, she has considered ways to connect indoor and outdoor spaces. The museum’s forgotten water fountain was one such playful feature that drew many visitors from the street into the building.
The museum’s water fountain was removed in 1962 and no longer exists. But with some imagination and creativity, Anne Marie transformed her window into an imaginary fountain, catching the eyes of passers-by.
ART ON THE WINDOW
Windows have become an important place to share ideas and creativity. Thousands of young people across the UK used their windows to send messages to the outside world during the national lockdown in 2020.
In 2020, V&A and the V&A Museum of Childhood jointly made a national call-out for rainbow artworks made by children during the pandemic, which then became a large-scale installation at the V&A: All Will Be Well: Children’s Rainbows from Lockdown, November 2020 – February 2021.
For the team at the V&A Museum of Childhood, the making of rainbows under lockdown struck us as an important act of children’s creativity. These rainbows were collected in our archives for future generations to see.
Did you create rainbows or other things and put on your window to communicate messages to the outside world last year?
MAKE YOUR OWN WINDOW THEATRE
Now it’s time for you to try creating a Window Theatre. You can make a Water Fountain like Anne Marie did, or can pick another scene. Anne Marie made it with just a roll of masking tape. Let’s ask her for some top tips.
I think the main thing is that there is no right or wrong.
Find an image you like and really look at it. Look at the different stories you can imagine about it – real or unreal. Maybe discuss it with your family and ask them what they see and imagine.
The Waterfall Theatre might take some days to build. Start with the masking tape on the window. You can start in one corner or across the whole window. No need to draw it on paper first – just do it directly from imagination and onto the windows. Step back now and then and look at it. No need to rush it – enjoy it and build layer by layer. Get your family to do a bit also.
If you’d like to animate your waterfall theatre with moving parts, get inspiration from Anne Marie’s shadow puppets created from recycled objects.
What can you find at home to help turn your windows into a theatre?
At the V&A Museum of Childhood, we think that play can be an expression of creativity. We hope this summer will bring lots more opportunities for us to be playful and creative. But while we must stay at home, we hope that turning your windows into a Waterfall Theatre will bring you and your neighbours cheer and joy!
And don’t forget that the V&A Museum of Childhood is currently closed, but you can keep in touch by signing up to our newsletter.
