They created a full-size shed in the gallery, complete with green roof. Inside the shed, architectural space-making is explored through the construction of elaborate scale models depicting urban garden and shed scenes both naturalistic and more abstract and whimsical.

Collaboration is central to Space Program’s creative approach. For this exhibition, they worked with six art and architecture students from Oxford Brookes University to develop the whimsical sheds that form part of the architectural model. And they designed and created its environmentally sustainable living roof in collaboration with Crisis clients. A regular blog post charted the development of the exhibition from December 2015 to its opening in May 2016.

During the exhibition, seven makers in residence transformed the shed into a ‘making space’, a place where visitors can meet makers and learn from them in workshops in basket making, weaving, wirework, illustration, woodwork and more. Crisis clients were welcome at all open workshops and three additional workshops were run for Crisis clients only. Artists participating in the residencies were:

Cathy Miles: Cathy uses wire as a medium to ‘draw’ with, creating remarkable portraits of everyday objects.

Daisy Webb:  Daisy will produce a series of illustrations which consider the identity of sheds as both domestic and natural.

Felicity Ford (aka Felix): Felix explores fabric-covered buttons and badges as expressive sites of meaning.

Rycote13 (from Rycotewood Furniture Centre): Young furniture makers Jan Waterston, Sam Bolt and Freya Whamond will be providing and insight into the workshop of a designer maker.

Katherine Pogson: Katherine works with leather, and will continue her current project, exploring how objects can connect the user with nature. 

Lucy Brown: Somewhere in the Gallery, Lucy will use second-hand clothing and textiles to create a visual response to the exhibition. 

Sherry Doyal: Artist and basketmaker Sherry will work on a collection inspired by Charles Darwin’s orchid research.