THE WILD THICKET

by Halima Arafat

A wild thicket emerges in-between the garden of St John The Divine Primary School and the street of Camberwell New Road. Inside the gates awaits a world where a child is able to expand upon their imagination to enjoy play through the collection and assemblage of twigs to create their own structural pieces. The thicket presents itself as a teacher, challenging a child’s imagination on how nature can create a space through its own material selection that includes stone, ply, and vines that wrap around the façade. Using the environment as an educational tool to develop the skills a child needs to navigate the world as they grow older through the age of 3 to 11 years old. Leaving the gates of the thicket as full-fledged Eco-warriors ready to salvage the world!