Environmental Arts Teaching at St Cuthbert's in St Helen's

During the summer of 2009 I was commissioned by St Helen's Youth Service to design a 6 lesson arts curriculum for a Global Citizenship programme being run in the area. To fulfill the criteria for the programme it was decided to focus on environmental sustainability as this crossed all barriers of age, gender, class, ability and race, and to use art as a medium, it being accessible to all, responds to emotional rather than purely intellectual input and promotes creative thinking. The 6 lessons followed a highly structured plan designed to be re-produced by the young people in a follow-up course of peer education. The curriculum required the young people to consider why they personally would be motivated to save the planet before starting on the creative projects - designing a mood board, using waste materials to create something new - then evaluating what they had created, what they had learned and where their personal interests now lay before searching the internet for voluntary work / environmental organisations etc that they could become involved in. The curriculum also includes activities for team building and peer leadership training.
The images above are some examples of the work produced by the first group of students to undergo the training. Their work was collated in personal files and certificates awarded on completion. Some of the young people self-selected to continue the programme as an after-school club teaching year 6 children. It is expected that their participation in this follow-up training will be validated as part a Duke of Edinburgh award.
Some of the young people may also become involved in environmental conferences for young people; last year some participants from a youth club group that I trained took part in an international youth conference in Germany.
I have presented the training as a booklet with step-by-step instructions for six one-hour lessons.

Waste Materials become Textile Art

Plastic 'fabric' is created from waste packaging, and hand-stitched with contrasting embroidery threads, odd buttons and bits of fishing ropes washed up on seashores.

Commissions taken, sizes vary, these are 50cm x 50cm.

The above pieces have all been sold to QSP, a company offering health and safety training to the Recycling and Waste Management sector.

Waste Materials become Textile Art 2

A Folly at the NEC

'A Folly' at the NEC Recycling and Waste Management international exhibition, September 15-18. I was invited by 'Jarshire' who specialise in decentralising waste management, selling and renting baling units to institutions and small communities, thereby reducing transport of waste and providing a local income. The sculpture attracted a lot of people to the stand and both Jarshire and myself benefitted from the interest. QSP, a company offering health and safety training in the waste management sector, bought all the art I had brought to sell to display in their training centre.

The MOD have since requested I bring 'A Folly' to their recycling training course in Taunton. This is currently being considered as taking it to Birmingham required a lot of fuel, somewhat contradictory for a 'green' exhibit. I am suggesting that I create something on site from the course's own waste. This could still involve bottles and I could take smaller frames by train to assemble in situ.

East Cheshire Hospice, who host a profitable, annual Art Exhibition of local artists in Macclesfield Town Hall, have asked if I would like to exhibit a large sculpture of waste materials, suitable for sale, in October 2010.

Jodrell Bank Art Show 5.7.09

First exhibition of framed work. Sold 'Red Rain' (bottom left) £150. Other prices vary from £75 to £165. Commissions taken. Aim to post better quality images of work ASAP.
Remaining three large pictures sold during the summer.

The Wall 2009

Prior to arranging 'A Folly' (see below). Nearly 2,000 plastic bottles packed into wooden frames, 7' high by 10' wide.

Recycled Fashion Workshops - Training Youth Workers 2009

To engage young people in the Global Citizenship iniative, St Helen's youth services have employed me to deliver training in Environmental Arts to youth workers which they can then use in their youth clubs. Creativity is an important skill to foster in young people in order to stimulate creative thinking and the environment is an issue that involves everyone regardless of gender, class, ability or race.