2011: Melanie Rose: Article: In Pursuit of Solitude
The Holly Hut
In the following article, Melanie Rose reflects on her visit to Kilquhanity - and its Holly Hut which has existed in many reincarnations.
Transcript of the rest of the article.
In the spring of 2011 I was fortunate to attend a drawing residency at Kilquhanity, the first free school in Scotland.
During the early 1950s a tree-house was built called the Holly Hut and over the years as each new generation entered the system so the Holly Hut evolved to become a complex construction. The tree was vast and one of the boughs was thick enough for the children to build a fire pit and cook on it. Sadly when the school was closed down the Holly Hut too was condemned.
Shinichiro Hori, when he heard Kilquhanity had been closed down he bought the school. One of the first things he did was to have the Holly Hut rebuilt with the aid of Japanese children who Shinichiro brings to Kilquhanity each year from May to September on a residential programme. Apart from sightseeing and learning, the children are all encouraged to build tree-houses, crannogs and dens as a significant part of their residency. Having researched Japanese education it seems that teachers take account of child welfare and behaviour in a holistic sense much more so than western teachers, tied by curriculum, do, which is probably why Shinichiro felt an allegiance with Free School theories.
‘The process of play in children is the same as the process involved in artistic creativity in adults’ (Hart)
We have all laughed at the concept of a Man’s shed or allotment as a means of escape, but then that could be said of the artist’s studio space? Each and everyone of these spaces are creative escapes. As with many like-minded people I want to slow things down, create a space that is devoid of deadlines and consumerism and tailored perfectionism. Perfection stifles creativity.
For children den building is a group activity involving role play, fantasy, and a certain amount of risk taking. As adults we either build the den for our children as a way of somehow continuing our line of play or we embark on a den that is totally ours. We are the grown-ups now; we rule in our world of den making, there will be no negotiation as to where the fire is. . . . we all need isolated time to prepare, plan and produce.
