The Den Project

2012-02-18T15:30:00.001Z

2012-02-17T18:41:00.002Z

2. DAYS ON

Work
Walkie Talkie
Trousers
Tunnel
Walkie Talkie

2012-02-17T18:32:00.002Z

1.DAYS ON
Discussion
Run
Work
Artists

Flo

2012-02-08T21:33:00.002Z

2012-02-08T14:37:00.001Z

Flow
Liz
Laura
Groundsheet
Film

2012-02-08T14:25:00.003Z

Day Off

2012-02-03T13:22:00.003Z

Allan Kapprow Days Off Calendar
February 3
Order
Bag
Pole
Box
labels
Ball
Lining the box with the labels
Film and photos on blog

ball and string

2012-02-01T15:34:00.003Z

Colin Ward and children, play and space.
I followed his advice and decided to explore in miniature so i tested some film out selecting objects from the grid of organised stuff. Then tested the yellow ball out too.

cardboard built and demolished

2012-01-30T14:33:00.005Z

I wanted to build a cardboard house that at least one person could sit comfortably in. Dan helped. Arthur pulled it apart.
Then we looked at all the different materials in the space.
Arthur and Dan built a tower.

Neat

2012-01-30T14:18:00.003Z

last stand

2012-01-25T21:29:00.002Z

we went after school to fill some time

and used i think for the last time all the

cardboard sheets paper boxes in a circular

design of tunnels, stepping stones, lookouts,

paper paths, and then played hide and secret.

I think with hide and seek it can work as a

ridiculous game when there are few hiding options

it becomes funnier

we hid in boxes, under sheets, behind a pillar or each other

edie wanted to make costumes so i propose next we have some

costume making materials

we finished with furry blueberry, vanilla giraffe and red icecreams

Tower Den

2012-01-20T09:58:00.003Z

Energetic and focused Arthur used his time productively. He explored nearly all the materials and most of the space. He was interested in building a tall structure but his height and materials restricted him a little. He named lots of PARTS:CHIMNEY,BED,IGGLEPIGGLE,ROOF,GARDEN,PATH,WALL,FRIENDS...
He took a huge roll of printer paper and made a huge pathway all around the room.
He then jumped and danced around the room with the long strip of paper which gradually split into smaller parts and then wrapped the paper round and round a pillar and tucked it in like a bandage.

Spaces Offering Creative Potential

2012-01-18T21:33:00.003Z

One of our spaces limitations is the clean walls that cant be damaged.

This limits what you can attach to them and restricts our actions.

However it also means we have to improvise through lighter structures, free-standing ones, create without needing walls. Perform, run etc.

Building a rainforest in a primary school together with teaching assistants there were only a few potential places to attach string across the room using water pipes or use staple gun.

Perhaps all classrooms should be lined with hooks around the walls for such a purpose.

Visiting a secondary School this week the rooms seemed even more restrictive in their potential for change and so restricts explorative, creative activity in changing a space for whatever purpose.

The teaching has reduced potential for departing from the desk and chair scenario plus the constant changing of classes also hampers this.

A field trip / visit is regarded as a significant part of learning in new / different surroundings and yet high schools must predominantly function in very limited ways.

While it seems accepted that people learn in different ways to varying degrees it seems to be ignored that the space itself plays a significant physical and symbolic role in this.

The Empty Room

2012-01-11T12:07:00.004Z

Liz and I were trying to write.
Frank was off school wanting to play.
Alone Frank built a den using the big cardboard and the pink bed sheet.
Together we built tunnels.
Liz and I wrote a little.
...Thinking about the effect of space. How to explore space through play, how to play by exploring space. Hide and Seek.

Later Frank played alone making a telescope, which he then used to look at the room.
ps. this post would look so much better with the photos big n text above or below but i can't work out how to do it right now. aaaaaagh.

Spiral. Last build of 2011.

2012-01-11T11:16:00.004Z

This space is great. The privacy and lack of nosy interruption from neighbours means we can enjoy ourselves, make lots of noise and run about.

We dont have to think about the world outside if we dont want to.

We made a spiral hotel and a performing area.

Edie and Martha ran round round round the space.

Its a great size for running.

They played hide and seek with their friend Emma which was ridiculously silly as its 'almost' impossible to find a hiding place.

polly as ever observed from her bean bag.

Today it's 131211

2011-12-14T11:44:00.003Z

Yesterday it was 13th of the 12th 2011.
Frank wasn't at school so he took all the photographs and did all the making.
Liz and I had a discussion about space.
The Royal Festival Hall.
The Turbine Hall at Tate Modern.
Chapel Allerton Arts Festival.
The Whitworth Art Gallery.
Some places to investigate..
Leeds, Bradford, York, Otley, Ilkley, Harrogate, Ripon, Sheffield, Manchester, Huddersfield, Wakefield...

Today it's THE BLACK CAT and THE BIG RAINBOW DEN

2011-12-02T13:53:00.003Z

The 2 'teams' immediately decided to build dens.
There was a lot of competition over objects, materials and space.
There were more complaints from next door.
The teams were very excited, tired and one was very emotional.
Today it's is going to move now.

Today it's NEXT DOOR TO REAL LIFE

2011-12-02T13:45:00.001Z

Yesterday was our first in the space.

We immediately built a den. It was minimal and quite sculptural using 3 poles a piece of string and a tarpaulin. It was very exciting building it.

We then celebrated our new space by eating buns inside the den.

Paul arrived he is also going to use the space to draw large scale portraits.

Then another man called Paul walked into the room from the next door accountant’s offices. He was confused as to who we were. We introduced ourselves. He said there were funny noises coming through as the sound travels. I felt quite intimidated by him as he seemed quite tense and cross.
He described it as a ‘squat’ and if we were artists ‘where are your paintings?’ he asked ‘do you have jobs?’

We were all quite upset after he left.

Liz and I discussed the first session in the space which will be for Edie, Martha, Arthur and Frank.

They will have free run of the space and various objects. We will observe them and let them lead us. It will be on Monday.

Palle Nielsen confessed to having 'dictated to kids' in The Model by assuming they would work with the materials in the same way he would have...

Ernest Schachtel in 'On Memory and Childhood Amnesia': 'The adult is usually not capable of experiencing what the child experiences; more often than not he is not even capable of imagining what the child experiences.' he talks about the newness of everything for the child...

Allan Kapprow in The Education of the Un-Artist Part 2 (1972) 'As direct play is denied to adults and gradually discouraged in children, the impulse to play emerges not in true games alone, but in unstated ones of power and deception: people find themselves playing less with each other than on or off each other.'
Also 'in play one is carefree in a game one is anxious about winning'

To allow children to be completely free to play as much as they like.
Creative and imaginative play is an essential part of childhood and development. Spontaneous, natural play should not be undermined or redirected by adults into learning experiences. Play belongs to the child.
Summerhill Policy Statement

2011-10-30T21:19:00.000Z

Project Space Leeds -den playing, building, drawing, film making, film watching within the exhibition Peering Sideways

2011-10-25T22:04:00.000+01:00

Jono Burgess: International Den Making Day 2011, Tegel Airport, Berlin

Harehills Primary School

2011-10-25T11:38:00.000+01:00

This is a telly

Harehills Primary School

2011-10-25T11:31:00.000+01:00

6 enormous dens were created in 6 days with children from year 1 and year 5

International Den Making Day 2011

2011-10-03T11:42:00.001+01:00

International Den Making Day 2011

2011-10-03T11:39:00.001+01:00

Ian's den in Filey :'An English man's shed is his den.'

International Den Making Day 2011

2011-10-02T14:00:00.000+01:00

International den making day 2011

2011-10-01T12:59:00.000+01:00

The first den...Janet, Jon, Amber and Joab's den in Sheffield:'Hi, for den day we made our trampoline into an outdoor space for watching tv (+ snacking of course).'

Chapel Allerton Festival 2011

2011-09-06T13:31:00.000+01:00

Chapel Allerton Arts Festival Workshop, Inkwell

2011-07-12T10:41:00.000+01:00

Pecha Kucha January 2011

2011-03-01T14:33:00.000Z

We presented 20 slides with 20 seconds per slide.
Keeping quiet we built a den around the microphone with bits n bobs we'd mangaged to collect that afternoon including a single party popper finale.

First Constructions sent in from Mittwoch Show

2011-02-18T18:11:00.001Z

Mittwoch

2011-02-04T14:32:00.000Z

We have put a Prototype Mini Den box in the Mittwoch (middle of the week dad's club and few mums sometimes) exhibition at Seven Arts in Chapel Allerton, Leeds.

Visitors can construct mini dens for Brian Jones and send pictures to our new website

www.denproject.co.uk

2010-10-09T00:58:00.000+01:00

2010-10-09T00:57:00.001+01:00

Light Night Leeds 8th October

2010-10-09T00:51:00.000+01:00

borrowed tarpaulins, left over bunting, pegs, tape, old banners & bubble wrap, freshly cut bamboo, garden canes, material, kids' window designs, string.....

Spring Bank Primary School. outdoor structure

2010-10-08T10:38:00.000+01:00

The most fantastic day with blue skies, and at the end we ate buns inside.

The windows looked great to see everyone's windows come to Park Square tonight 5pm-9pm .

2010-10-06T21:28:00.000+01:00

Spring Bank Primary School, Leeds

2010-10-06T21:24:00.000+01:00

Today we spent the time making models with Year 3 at Spring Bank and windows for Friday night.
Tomorrow morning we make a big structure together at school.
Here are some of the great models and the city they made when put together.

Chapel Allerton Group Structure

2010-10-03T22:50:00.000+01:00

Chapel Allerton Designs 2

2010-10-03T21:32:00.001+01:00

Chapel Allerton Designs

2010-10-03T21:30:00.001+01:00

Chapel Allerton Designs

2010-10-03T21:25:00.000+01:00

After looking at pictures of buildings in Leeds pupils at Chapel Allerton made models of buildings using mainly found material.
Then they tested bigger spaces and built together.
These are some of their great ideas.

Light Night Leeds 8th October

2010-10-03T21:20:00.000+01:00

To coincide with International DenMaking Day on October 8th 2010 we will be building a temporary structure in Park Square Leeds.
Workshops with pupils from Year 5 at Chapel Allerton Primary School and Year 3 at Spring Bank Primary School will suggest ideas of what the structure might look like and each pupil has designed a window to be part of it.
Open from 5pm bring a torch and you can get inside it.

international den making 3

2010-10-03T14:10:00.000+01:00

Recent explorations

2010-09-22T15:00:00.001+01:00

Light Night

2010-09-22T14:49:00.000+01:00

The Den Project will be making materials with children from Spring Bank School and Chapel Allerton School over the next 2 weeks for a structure to be built in Park square, Leeds on October 8th 2010.
This will also coincide with International den-Making Day this year occurring on the October 8th.
Posters / info to follow.

Coney Island Sand

2010-04-12T22:53:00.000+01:00

The description evokes something new while the experience remains personally intact for each visitor.
Alternatively - this plasticine from the Coney Island construction with real sand was a constant during the 42 occupation witnessing all the activities, changed once by a cheeky participant and returned to its former state for the last event.

2010-04-06T10:58:00.000+01:00

I just thought I'd describe the den we made for the 1st April as the pictures I've got don't.
We hung a washing line from above our heads at the entrance to waist height at the back of the first room. Then we pegged bedsheets along the line, it became a tunnel. When it turned left it became a cardboard tunnel along the foot of the room, it turned right and up some stairs, this part was made of plastic sheets, it was easier to crawl rather than walk.

There was a table at the end of the tunnel. On the right a small entrance to the cinema was made from orange plastic sheeting. Inside it was dark, very low and quite quiet. At the far end a film was projected onto some material hanging underneath a table.

The film showed 3 den building events:
1. A Brutalist Den made October 2nd 2008
2. Mass den building at "Playing in Urban Spaces" a conference at Leeds Metropolitan University, 3rd October 2008
3. Den building at Coney Island, New York, 21st January 2010.

The cinema den was made of:
3 tables
cardboard
black out material
there was also black out material over the stained glass windows
paper
tape
2 pairs of trestle table legs
pegs

There was space for about 7 people. Some people said they really enjoyed the quiet darkness of the cinema den compared to the big front room space where people were chatting and drinking. The exit of the den was to the left of the projection, after leaving people found they could stand up straight in the darkness for a few steps before having to crawl under the table and back down the stairs to get out again.
A film made from images of the March workshops was projected against the side of the bed sheet tunnel.

April 1st Film Screening Den

2010-04-05T10:20:00.000+01:00

And finally ...

2010-03-28T22:01:00.001+01:00

And then...

2010-03-28T21:55:00.001+01:00

Open weekend - 28th March

2010-03-28T21:45:00.000+01:00

Today each construction became attached to the one before until the mission seemed to be to fill the space - it was almost complete leaving enough room to get in and out.
Meanwhile in the office at the back a beautiful small house was constructed with a domed roof followed by a triangular unfinished toblerone.
Another fantastic day.

Open Weekend 27th March

2010-03-28T21:28:00.000+01:00

From 11am til 7pm number 42 was was a hive of activity - constructions built, occupied, changed, reconstructed, reoccupied by everyone who came in and the den project memory archive expanded into italy and zambia. Brilliant day.

Friday morning

2010-03-26T13:12:00.000Z

There were 137 women and 278 men on the floor.
Doileys across the window.
A table made out of balloons.
An umbrella with a woollen fringe.
And a pair of eyes.
Now it's all gone.

Lace curtains on the bus stop

2010-03-25T19:24:00.001Z

Jess, Jen, Jo and Casey visit the following day

2010-03-25T19:20:00.000Z

Dan, Aaron and Matthew visit no.42

2010-03-25T19:17:00.001Z

2010-03-22T21:35:00.000Z

2010-03-22T21:29:00.000Z

March 22nd

2010-03-22T21:21:00.000Z

A ship boat, a sail, steering wheels, masks, gardens with tv's, a car and some secret messages.

Spring Bank Reception and Year 3

2010-03-22T20:26:00.000Z

Today we visited Spring Bank Primary in Leeds and along with the children of year 3 and Reception built mini dens and large dens.

Sunday Den

2010-03-21T18:00:00.000Z

Remembering using Plasticine and Matchsticks

2010-03-21T17:44:00.000Z

Exploring 42 New Briggate with Evelyn

2010-03-17T19:52:00.000Z

Tactile Borders...behind the peep hole

2010-03-17T19:48:00.000Z

Asa Liz Laura...Tactile Borders

2010-03-15T21:16:00.000Z

42

2010-03-15T21:14:00.001Z

Stuck in the Porch...words

2010-03-15T21:12:00.001Z

The key wouldn't work
I could see in but I couldn't get in
So I made some struff with the stuff in the porch
It was quite nice
I could hear someone's conversation really clearly
They didn't know I was there

Stuck in the Porch

2010-03-15T20:43:00.000Z

March 8th

2010-03-08T23:03:00.000Z

Sometimes its good to have restrictions and only having a shorter time in the space was more fun for making.
Visitor 3 Derek added to the archive of den building with a memory of building in the Lickey Hills.

2010-03-08T22:56:00.000Z

The 42 Gallery Leeds

2010-03-08T18:41:00.000Z

We have started our residency at 42 New Briggate, Leeds by the Grand Theatre.

Over the first 3 weeks of March we are building Dens, inviting people to come and make things which can be viewed through the windows of the gallery.
Last week we made each other some structures, and put some pictures up.
On Friday Sarah and Ada came to our first workshop and made a new dwelling and miniature tower house- then Ada turned into a giant orange caterpillar.
Also The Den Project Archive has been installed for visitors to add to.

Open Weekend 27th and 28th March 11 - 7pm

Soho

2010-01-28T13:40:00.000Z

Chelsea

2010-01-28T13:37:00.001Z

Coney Island

2010-01-28T13:23:00.000Z

New York, USA

2010-01-21T00:16:00.000Z

The Den Project
-21/01/10
will be den building on Coney Island
mid morning
come along if you fancy!

International Den Making Day, Banyoles, Spain

2009-10-09T13:08:00.000+01:00

It was in a ditch. There was a traditional teepee construction of twigs round a tree. Outside was a "tray" of "bread" (planks with insulation foam on them). next to this in a another tree was a platform about 1.5m above the ground that about 3 kids could climb up to. It was pretty dangerous. between these 2 constructions were 2 planks that formed a bridge over the ditch. At one point Sylvia was a kind of gatekeeper for the bridge.
I saw this den on international den making day. I don't think that the children who had made it were aware that they were contributing to such a prestigious international art collaboration.
Joe Robinson

more memories over cake 3/10/09

2009-10-05T13:30:00.000+01:00

Malcolm
Our house backed onto a chicken farm off the Stratford Road in Birmingham and a Tennis Club.
We (kids on the street) used to climb over into the farm and build dens out of the brush and material lying around.
There's a photo of us sitting on logs in the farm.
We also used to get into the tennis club and make dens out of the summer foliage and either no-one knew or didnt bother about us, they probably were happy we were out of the way.

I also had a seat high up in an ash tree until my dad had to chop it down as the roots started to destroy the garage.
The taylors had a tree house built for them.

Shirley
We moved to the Wirral during the war and had a garden that then had a kind of bridge over a ditch and some wood at the back.
We used to make dens in the wood which felt like it was separate to the rest of the garden and the house and therefore parents.
They weren't fancy things just temporary structures from sticks and whatever was around.

What is the definition of a den?

International Den Making Day

2009-10-05T09:36:00.000+01:00

International Den Making Day

2009-09-30T11:55:00.000+01:00

Robert Rauschenberg, Map Room II, 1965

2009-09-16T11:00:00.000+01:00

Robert Rauschenberg

2009-09-15T14:32:00.000+01:00

when we took part in the design activism conference in july we didn't supply any materials...we asked everyone to build a den from what they had with them. I liked this unpredictable way...i want to include this quote just because so...Robert Rauschenberg:'Fro the first time there was absolutely nothing to use. ...I asked Alex whether he had any shirts that needed ironing...so we got two ironing boards and put them up over some blue lights that were back there. When the curtain opened, there were the dancers and these two people ironing shirts....the lights coming up through the shirts, it was like a live passive set, like live decor.' Robert Rauschenberg talking to Richard Kostelanetz in his book The Theatre of Mixed Means 1970 (Sir Isaac Pitman and Sons Ltd)

Graphic Arts & Design studio den 6th July 2009

2009-07-07T15:08:00.000+01:00

We needed a constructed space to show our project to then discuss the relationship of design to the project
luxury versus necessity, survivalist design methods, Greenham Common, minimal design, changing typographic use, not a font, health and safety, a kind of vernacular of materials, and much much more

2009-07-07T15:06:00.000+01:00

Design Activism Event, 3rd July 2009

2009-07-07T14:44:00.000+01:00

Taking part in the design activism day at Leeds Metropolitan University.
Making dens or mini spaces with whatever we had in our bags, pockets or in the room.
We discussed the relevance of the innovative use of materials on the moon landings mission in 1969 as described by Sam Wollaston in the Guardian-
"best of all was the construction of an adapter to make the carbon-dioxide filters from the command module work in the lunar module. Basically, they'd arrived at their holiday destination, tried to plug something in, and found that the plug sockets were different. Except we're not talking about charging mobile phones - we're talking about getting rid of the the carbon dioxide, which they needed to do in order to stay alive. In the thickening fug in Houston, a team set about fabricating an adapter, using only what their brothers in space had to hand. The result was a clumsy box made from plastic, duct tape, the cover of a manual and an old sock. And, when they were finished, they had to then explain to the astronauts how to make their own adapter;" 2/7/09

2009-06-30T22:34:00.000+01:00

2009-06-30T22:32:00.000+01:00

The Ice Palace

2009-06-30T22:27:00.000+01:00

Chronologically a while ago, when we had the snow , do we remember that now in our current heatwave?
Built in a hidden overgrown garden we were directed to the spot with kids and explored this fantastic construction.
You could get right in it and slide through to the centre, stick your head out of holes and turrets and slide down the roof.
Beautiful.

Memories recorded at The Old Rectory, Bempton, 8th May 2009

2009-05-21T12:28:00.000+01:00

Jean remembered playing in an old grave, it was a table top grave in The Priory Churchyard in Bridlington. The underneath had all caved in and she used to get underneath and play. She also used to play in the caves at Robin Lythe Cave...apparently that was so named due to a baby washing up there in a basket.

Doreen remembered making mini houses for her dolls out of shoe boxes.She grew up in Newcastle upon Tyne.

Edith grew up in Sowerby Bridge, Halifax. When asked about memories of den making she said there was no den making unless there were little boys around.

Jean, Edith and Doreen

2009-05-21T12:15:00.000+01:00

Just by Chance

2009-04-24T12:10:00.000+01:00

Large Dens and Mini Dens in School

2009-04-24T12:08:00.000+01:00

Large Dens and Mini Dens in School

2009-04-24T12:06:00.000+01:00

Large Dens and Mini Dens in School

2009-04-24T12:05:00.000+01:00

Large Dens and Mini Dens in School

2009-04-24T11:58:00.000+01:00

Snow

2009-04-24T11:53:00.000+01:00

This winter there was a lot of snow. On 13th February Liz, Laura, Martha and Frank visited an ice palace that had been made in the gardens of a derelict building. It had 2 rooms, a corridor, a slide to get in 3 or 4 windows, decorative turrets, and an ever changing shape. It was made by Callum.

Chris Harman's Den Making Day

2009-04-24T11:39:00.000+01:00

More memories from Cobalt...

2008-12-02T19:34:00.000Z

8,Laura Seebohm, Dedham
The garden of Princel House, Dedham (Essex/Sutton border) a trap door in the garden leading down to an air raid shelter.

9,Michelle, Arnold
My Gran and Grandad used to make a den out of sheets for us on the washing line.

10,Matt Stokes told me about a room in his house in East Sussex...apparently you had to crawl into the room through a tunnel and then went round and round until you reached the den in the middle...

11,John the chemist,
Inbetween 2 parallel lines in a forest plantations. Bits of stick, colder than this (-2), sat in it all night.

12,John, St. Austell
Dig holes in the ground, sit in them, with a plastic snake.

13,Jacob, Newcastle
Sheets as roof, cushions as beds, chairs for holding the roof up, sometimes bamboo sticks for holding the roof up.

14,Ben, Newcastle
wood-walls
felt-roof
sticks-inside
hide..sometimes alone sometimes with friends
old parachute in the garden

15,Simon
Dear "Miss" I live in a den. I am a full time hoarder. I live with Herman he is green and a puppet.

16,Louie
wood, bricks...outside in the back garden, a couple of friends are allowed in it, sit in it, chat, sometimes eat, sometimes take it down.

Memories recorded at Cobalt Studios, 30th November 2008

2008-12-01T19:42:00.000Z

1,Jill Bloodsworth, Penistone
A blanket trapped in the piano and then draped over the settee and then my Mum would
barracade us in with chairs and we'd play in it all day.

2,Tara Scholes, Guilford
Making a den, from 2 armchairs, a duvet and a mattress!
In my living room in Guilford.

3,Joe Frankland, Cambridge
My brothers and I made dens out of clothes drying racks in Cambridge. Then we'd play cowboys and indians.

4,Juliette Baisseau, St Yrieix-la-Perche, France
Musty, smelling old really heavy blankets and quilts. Cutting sunlight, but not the heat!

5,David Hardman, Ringwood
At David's Grandfather's house, there was a wood behind his house, "we used to dig caves out of the soil/sand underneath the trees-it's a wonder we didn't kill ourselves actually!"

6,Sarah Coller, Bath
I love dens, spent a lot of my gorgeous childhood in them. One was made out of a tractor cab and we put it in a tree. Very territorial-a refuge from my brothers, gangs formed, outside all day, all weather.

7,Marjolaine, East Dulwich, South London
I remember putting all the chairs together then putting sheets across them-pulling the sheets and chairs to make a tent shape and taking cushions and candles inside! I roasted marshmallows on the candles (alone and with friends) sounds dangerous!!

Cobalt Studios, Newcastle 30/11/08

2008-11-30T21:30:00.000Z

2008-11-05T10:22:00.000Z