Join The Flock

Target 5000 Submitted 5066

FLOCK is a BIG public art project that anyone can join in with, in fact we positively want you to join in.....

Join the project and contribute to a large scale art installation made up of thousands of woolly pom-pom sheep! Schools, groups, organisations and individuals are all invited to take part by making sheep & flocks for the installation, which is touring in 2012. The project's aim is to encourage creativity and collaboration while raising awareness and celebrating the sheep farming & wool industry.

We are encouraging participants use sheep's wool to make their sheep - a remarkable fibre that is 100% natural, sustainable and biodegradable. If taking part please use yarns containing sheep’s wool content and avoid 100% synthetic wool yarns.

FLOCK is co-ordinated by Eden Arts an arts organisation in Eden in Cumbria (yes that's sheep country). Our fells have thousands of sheep on them munching away and, together with the farmers, managing the land. It was these sheep that inspired us to create this project.

To take part, download the kit and get involved!

Woodhall Spa & Horncastle Libraries Cowbit Primary, Lincolnshire Newton Rigg College Cold Springs Residential Home Eden Young Parents Penrith Home School Group The Heathlands Project Gallery@Rheged Langwathby CE Primary Startburst Arts Weft Studio, Carlisle Timespan Museum Todmorden High School St Bees Village School Jenny Morrish, Brunel University Hazel Brow Farm, Swaledale Penrith Hospital Art Group Casey's Crafters, Whitehaven The Old Fire Station, Northwich Knotty Knitters, Northwich Sian Saxby Lee & Jake Wood Lara Throssell Hunt, Bedfordshire Jana, Los Angeles Country Hideaways Greystoke Primary School Morland Primary School Janice, Newark Caroline, High Hesket St. Monan's Primary School, Fife Alex, Cheshire Woodhall Spa & Horn Castle Libraries, Lincolnshire Brunswick Primary School, Penrith

Downloads

To help you make your sheep we've created a downloadable sheep making kit. It contains step by step instructions, a template and a form to send to us along with your sheep. We've also got a poster you can print, and an information sheet available too. If you have difficulties opening these documents please get in touch - contact details can be found at the bottom of this page.

Latest News

Apr

Flock on Tour

Everyone who visited the first Flock installation at Rheged Centre in Cumbria were surprised and delighted by the display. 2500 people visited the Flock during its 10 days at Rheged, with people travelling from far and wide to see it. The exhibition was launched by the shepherdess Alison O’Neill along with her lambs and sheepdog. Visitors were invited to make their own sheep in the “sheep making area” and add it to the installation to help us reach our 5000 target. By the end of the Flock stay at Rheged we counted 4919 sheep so will be encouraging people to continue adding to the installation at it tours.

The flock will be on display at Farfield Mill in Sedbergh 2 May-10 June and at Woolfest in Cockermouth on 22-23 June. We will be announcing venues and dates for summer and autumn soon!

Apr

HEFTED film premiers

HEFTED is a film we commissioned from Cumbrian production company Dreamtime Films. It is a companion piece to our FLOCK project. HEFTED sheep recognise their own territory and on the thousands of square kilometres of open fell where they graze with other flocks, they will stay to their own heath, it is as if they belong to that piece of land. We were inspired by this notion and it made us think about how people are HEFTED too. The film was premièred on Rheged giant cinema screen as part of the Flock exhibition launch and will be screened alongside the installation as it tours.

Jan

Cumbrian Flock featured in Wonder of Wool exhibition

We have been working with a number of groups and schools to create a special little Flock which is being used to represent the sheep of Cumbria in WOW – an exhibition celebrating the Wonder of Wool and the art of knit and stitch at Rheged Centre near Penrith. The pom-pom sheep have been made using pure Herdwick and Swaledale wool from local flocks and will be on display in the exhibition until 15th April. The Gallery@Rheged will be act as a Flock sheep drop-off point through the duration of the exhibition and sheep making kits are available from the gallery shop in exchange for a donation to the project.