A touring pavilion activated by artists & communities.
Wiggle Wonderland is a timber-framed, open-air gallery that can be adapted to display the works of artists and communities in different locations. From hosting live performances to workshops, each install of the pavilion evolves and is shaped by people and place, and collaboration and co-creation are core to the project.
After its launch at Brainchild in 2021, with support from Arts Council England, the pavilion has been to Honilands Primary School in North London in collaboration with DYSPLA, where it exhibited large-scale poetry created by neurodivergent pupils. The pavilion became an outdoor classroom and pupils performed their poetry to their peers and families over the term.
In 2022, Wiggle Wonderland was at the London Festival of Architecture in St Giles square by Tottenham Court Road station, supported by Almacantar.
The pavilion displayed 57 slogan posters created by children and young people on their dreams for future cities, created during workshops across London schools and an open call from individuals and community groups including Rumpus Room, Blackhorse Responders and Protest Press. Over the month the pavilion hosted workshops led by Leap then Look, Fandangoe Kid, Maya Kincaid, environmental collective A+E, Grrrl Zine Fair and Matilda Ellis. They interpreted the LFA theme ‘ACT’ as the important ‘act of making, creating and dreaming up new cities, worlds and futures’.
Currently, the pavilion is installed at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire, as part of The New World, produced by Wild Rumpus. For the artwork, Lucy collected childhood memories of nature and play from an open call. The colourful landscapes and abstracted shapes on the banners are intertwined with these memories.
Wiggle Wonderland was founded by architectural designer Beau McCarthy (he/him) and artist Lucy Grainge (she/her).
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