Wonder-ing what to do this summer?..

Yorkshire Sculpture Park unveils inspiring Curiosity & Wonder summer programme of fun

Taking inspiration from YSP’s gallery exhibitions, this summer holiday programme of events and pop-up projects is designed to spark creativity, curiosity and shared moments of wonder and delight for all ages; featuring everything from a family rave, wax and clay sculpting, and live music to experiencing huge clouds of foam bubbles.

Kicking off on Saturday 15 July with an Opening Celebration Day, the programme will continue throughout the summer, with a closing event on Saturday 2 September.

Budding artists can join in with shared Live Painting sessions with artist Natasha Joseph, collectively creating a Wonderwall of individually coloured panels. There are Family Life Drawing sessions with artist Jo Blaker, a Guided Meditation led by Rangoli Radio and Pyramid Spiritual Societies, as well as family-focused creative writing sessions taking place throughout the day. Leeds-based poet and illustrator Matthew Hodson will be hosting a Poetry Reading for families with reading from his collection of nonsense poems Forwards Always. Matthew’s book is a toy, a script, a game and a puzzle, designed to be activated by performance and play.

Following on from the Opening Celebration Day visitors can take part in Abigail Burt’s project Lost-Wax for Lost-Species (Saturday 8 July – Sunday 3 September) in the Bothy Gallery, 5 minutes from the Visitor Centre. Reflecting on climate issues and species loss, participants will be invited to make a wax sculpture of an endangered or vulnerable animal. The collection will then expand throughout the summer. 

Other activities and events to look forward to include:

Activated twice daily, Roger Hiorns’ A Retrospective View of the Pathway  temporarily transforms the landscape with vast bubbles of foam (Saturday 15 July – Sunday 3 September).

Sound Wave Collider: a multi-sensory, immersive installation devised by Halifax–based arts organisation IOU and David Wheeler, with a soundscape by artist Jason Singh. This unique deep-listening experience features the sounds of living organisms, biofeedback from plants, and electronically processed birdsong from the YSP landscape (Saturday 15 July – Sunday 3 September).

Guerilla Calligraphy, a mesmerising collaboration between Arabic script calligrapher Razwan Ul-Haq and Qawwali and Sufi music expert Dipak Mistry (Saturday 15 July and Saturday 2 September).

Inner Horizons by Bradford-based artist Cat Scott explores what it might sound and feel like to be within a bubble. Step inside the Boathouse to become part of a magical and fluid landscape (Saturday 26 August – Sunday 10 September).

ICHI, a performance artist and experimental musician from Nagoya in Japan who takes the idea of the one-man band to new limits, will perform overlooking the Erwin Wurm sculptures in the landscape. (Saturday 15 July)

On National Play Day (Wednesday 2 August) – there will be several events including Outdoor Sculpture Building: Come Rain Come Shine, where visitors can build their own super-sized sculptures. Collect free packs of playful ideas from the ArtCart to enjoy whilst out and about in the Park, or visit the Hidden Forest for Sculpture Adventures aimed at the under 5’s.

On the afternoon of Saturday 5 August, a one-off outdoor Family Rave with Jason Singh will be open to visitors of all ages, encouraging shared moments of joy and connection through music and movement.

On Sunday 6 August Jason will also lead Mindful Listening Walks for visitors to connect to and appreciate the sounds of the natural world.

YSP Associate Director Helen Pheby said: “We are really excited about this summer programme which focuses on exploration, the importance of play and creating opportunities for new experiences. Visitors are encouraged to take full advantage of both the indoor and outdoor locations across the whole 500-acre YSP estate which are simply breathtaking.

“Curiosity & Wonder encourages fun and imaginative ways of engaging with the world around us, and there is really something for everyone whether you enjoy playing, creating, participating or simply relaxing and watching the world go by.”

All Curiosity & Wonder daytime activities and events are free and included with YSP admission.* 

25s and under have free entry. To book tickets and find out about the full programme with dates visit www.ysp.org.uk

*with the exception of the evening dining experiences at The Weston. Bookable in advance.

Press enquiries

Elise Hammond, Sutton / +44 (0)20 7183 3577 / elise@suttoncomms.com

Deborah Hastie / +44 (0)7799 575558 / deborah.hastie@ysp.org.uk

Kirsty Young, Head of Marketing and PR, YSP / +44 (0)1924 832 515 / comms@ysp.org.uk

Download images at ysp.org.uk/press

Listings information

Yorkshire Sculpture Park, West Bretton, Wakefield WF4 4LG

Near Wakefield and Barnsley – M1 Junction 38

+44 (0)1924 832631 | ysp.org.uk | @YSPsculpture

Open seven days a week, except Christmas Eve and Christmas Day Booking essential, via ysp.org.uk