Carnets de terrain — the outdoor Wednesday art workshop⭣

Indoors, children often draw from memory: a tree is a trunk with a green ball on top. Outdoors, the tree has flaking bark, a broken branch, a shadow that moves as the afternoon goes by. You only need to sit in front of it to notice.

Carnets de terrain is a real art class, taught in the field.

Every Wednesday, children learn a technique (line, light, composition, colour) and apply it straight away to what is in front of them. No model to copy: the subject is whatever is happening around them that day.

The lake, the forest, the river, the vineyards: the location changes over the year, and so does what there is to look at. The same shoreline looks nothing like itself in October and in May.

Working on location means learning to choose a viewpoint, to frame, to wait for the light to change. It also means three hours outdoors in the middle of the week, which does not happen that often.

• Drawing: observational sketching, watercolour, charcoal. Learning to look at one thing for a long time.
• Photography: framing, playing with light, telling the story of a place in a few pictures. Cameras are provided.
• Land art: creating with what nature offers (leaves, stones, branches) and leaving the work where it stands.

The three feed into each other: a photo becomes a drawing, a drawing sparks an idea for an installation.

At the first workshop, every child receives their own mini artist's kit: a sketchbook, pencils, a small watercolour box and a water brush, in a Hey Folks pencil case.

Week after week, the sketchbook fills up: attempts, mistakes, discoveries.

By June, it tells the story of a whole year spent outdoors.

Mist, a stormy sky, rain on the water: what would cancel an ordinary outing becomes a subject here. The workshop takes place in all weathers, with activities adapted to the conditions.

If conditions become dangerous (thunderstorm, strong wind, severe cold), the workshop moves to a dedicated space for making art.

Two adults for seven children: everyone moves at their own pace, and everyone gets real attention. The year's programme is prepared in advance, with a clear progression, but the teaching stays lively: if a heron lands by the water, we change subject.

The team brings together people trained in art and in working with children, sharing the same philosophy as every Hey Folks project.

1. From now on: join the waiting list by e-mail. It is free and non-binding.
2. March 2027: registration opens, with priority for families on the waiting list. No payment is required to register.
3. Between 15 and 30 June 2027: your place is confirmed by e-mail, together with the payment details.
4. September 2027: first workshop and handover of the artist's kit.

• When: every Wednesday, 2:00 to 5:00 pm, outside Vaud school holidays
• Duration: September 2027 to June 2028, i.e. 36 Wednesdays over the year
• First workshop: Wednesday 6 September 2027
• Who for: children aged 6 to 11
• Groups: 7 children maximum, 2 adults
• Meeting point: Parc de Milan, Lausanne

CHF 220 per month, September to June (10 monthly instalments)

CHF 120 registration fee, once a year

The fee includes:

• supervision by two adults from the Hey Folks team;
• the mini artist's kit handed out at the first workshop (worth CHF 40);
• all materials and supplies for the year: paper, paints, photo prints, cameras on loan.

Payment in 10 monthly instalments, by invoice (annual payment is also possible).

1. Does joining the waiting list commit me to anything?

No. It simply lets us tell you first when registration opens. You decide then, without having paid anything.

2. When does registration open?

In March 2027, families on the waiting list receive the registration link a few days before it opens to the public.

3. When is my place confirmed?

Between 15 and 30 June 2027, by e-mail. That way you have your answer before the summer and can plan the new school year with peace of mind. No payment is requested before this confirmation.

4. How does payment work?

The year is paid in 10 monthly instalments of CHF 220, by invoice. The first payment (first instalment plus the CHF 120 registration fee) is due before the first workshop. After that, each instalment is paid at the end of the month, for the following month. A single annual payment is also possible.

5. Does my child need to be good at drawing?

No. The workshop is for children who already draw a lot just as much as for those who think they can't. We learn to look before we learn to draw, and everyone progresses from their own starting point.

6. Are the children outdoors all afternoon?

Yes, that is the whole idea. Children work on location, in nature, with a snack break. Children should bring their own snack. Only dangerous conditions bring us indoors.

7. What happens if it rains?

Rain is part of the subject: we draw raindrops on the water and photograph reflections. Please dress your child for the weather (waterproof trousers, boots, a warm layer). In case of thunderstorms or dangerous conditions, the workshop moves to a dedicated space for making art.

8. Does my child need a camera?

No. Hey Folks lends cameras during the workshop. All equipment, including the artist’s kit handed out at the first workshop, is included in the fee.

9. Who looks after the children?

Each group is supervised by two adults, for seven children maximum. As for all our activities, everyone working with the children provides a special criminal record extract and signs our code of conduct.

10. Are photos of the children published?

No. We never publish any photo in which a child can be identified. The children photograph nature, landscapes and their own creations, and those are the pictures we share with families.

11. Can my child come on some Wednesdays only?

No. The workshop is designed as a year-long class, with a progression from one week to the next. That is what allows children to really learn, and the group to get to know each other.

12. Why an outdoor art workshop?

Because outdoors, you don't invent the subject: you discover it. The light changes, the seasons transform each place, and every Wednesday brings something new to look at. It is the best way to learn to observe, and observation is the foundation of all artistic work.

So that every child gets real attention, groups stay small. Families on the waiting list are the first to hear.

Join the waiting list

• Holiday camps: a week in nature, every season.
• Adventure days: a day of exploration on a Saturday or a day off school.
• Birthday parties: an immersive party outdoors, built around imagination.