Learning and Sustainability
At The Hepworth Wakefield, sustainability is not only embedded in operations it's something we consider when planning our learning programme with communities, families and schools.
What we're Doing
Using recycled and repurposed materials
Non-consumable resources are shared across all three learning programmes to reduce waste or overconsumption.
Where consumables are used, we source recycled products whenever possible, e.g. paper for our Explore & Draw kits for families, Exploring Art kits for schools and our workshops.
We use local suppliers, e.g. YPO, World of Wool, to reduce carbon emissions from deliveries. We source pre-loved and waste materials from The Scrap Shop, Farsley.
Outdoor learning throughout the year
The gallery’s public garden is a living classroom. Thorugh use of our What’s in our Garden family sketchbooks and Garden Sketchbooks for schools, visitors are invited to observe, sketch and respond to the space, supporting sensory learning.
Seasonal drawing workshops for families encourage visitors to spend time in the outdoors, look creatively at nature, and take notice of local species.
Linking Hepworth, landscape and nature
Our Barbara Hepworth-inspired school workshops use natural objects and materials as inspiration, linking nature and the elements to creative output. Just as Barbara Hepworth was inspired by the Yorkshire landscape and the sea, we use natural materials and objects to inspire awe and wondow of the natural world.
The Challenge and What's Next?
Climate change and biodiversity loss are complex global issues but they can be made tangible through small, creative acts. The challenge lies in presenting these topics in ways that are hopeful, age-appropriate and locally relevant, without losing depth.
We’re continuing to evolve our environmental learning offer, with key areas of development including:
Strengthening cross-departmental collaboration
Tighter integration between learning, curatorial and sustainability teams will ensure environmental themes are aligned across exhibitions, events, and education.
Delivering carbon literacy training
Staff across departments take part in certified carbon literacy workshops. These sessions build shared understanding of climate impacts and support more sustainable decision-making across the organisation.
Exploring opportunities with the new garden workshop
When our new garden workshop is created, we will explore opportunities to further encorporate our garden and environmental learning into our programmes.
Introducing high-quality, reusable resources to use across programmes
Further consider environmentally friendly materials and printing options, reducing the need for frequent re-printing. For example, researh and implement large Barbara Hepworth images that can be reused for schools, families and communities audiences.
