I’ll be having a great time over the weekend of the 30th and 31st, showing children how to make their own heads – Stirling Heads that is. It’s a chance for some of our younger visitors to have fun with clay and create something special to keep. Some of their artistic efforts could even end up pictured on our website.

The Stirling Heads are fantastic metre-wide, hand-carved, 16th-century oak medallions which show the faces of kings, queens, Roman emperors, classical heroes and characters from court like a jester and a poet. What the children will be doing at the special sessions I’ll be leading is moulding their own miniature versions and putting whatever face they like on them. In fact, they could make it a self-portrait, or even create a portrait of their mum or dad as a Renaissance nobleman or lady.

We use air-drying clay, so by the time you’ve taken a good look round the castle and got home it should be ready to paint. Once that’s done we’re inviting youngsters to take a picture of their finished head and email it to us. We hope to put some of them on our website so lots of people can enjoy looking at them.

The Heads of Clay activity is part of our contribution to the annual Big Draw campaign to promote drawing and art. Sessions are included in the normal ticket price to the castle. They will take place at 11am and 2pm both days – so I hope you’ll pop along and join us. It’s best to book in advance to be sure of a place, and all you need to do is call 01786 431321.

To send us a photo of your Stirling Head simply email it to Nicola.McCrae@Scotland.gsi.gov.uk.

Kirsten Wood, Education Officer