Art4Space are delivering three creative programmes during the London lockdown; Art in a Box, Creative videos from home and #MyWishDish. Julie Norburn Art4Space managing director says they are working hard to find new ways of reaching their community while social distancing and working remotely with the team.
Art In A Box
Art4Space have created a 10 lesson ‘Art in a Box’ for key workers and vulnerable children who are still attending school, and for the teachers who are working despite a severe lack of resources and under such extreme circumstances.
Six boxes have already been delivered to their close partnership schools and the response has been fantastic says Managing director Julie Norburn.
“One head teacher said: ‘We cannot thank Art4Space enough for creating this initiative at the right moment in time’, and another said: ‘The children are so excited about this box, we will share the work and give feedback for this valuable resource’.
“One parent also said: ‘This will really help my two children process their feelings as they are worried about both parents working on the front line’.”
Mayor of Lambeth, Philip Normal, is also endorsing the project while Lambeth cabinet member for children and young people, Ed Davie, said: “Spoke to Art4Space last week providing high quality arts materials and curriculum to underprivileged Lambeth children – please support and spread the word. 42% of Lambeth’s children live in poverty without good access to materials some of us take for granted.”
Responding to community need, Art4Space is developing a 5 lesson ‘Art in a Box’ for care homes, hostels, women shelters, residencies and young offender institutions across Lambeth and individual/family ‘Art in a Box’ for children at risk, children who are physically unwell and children who will not attend school due to high anxiety parents when schools reopen.
Art4Space has received funding for the first time from ACE (Arts Council England) for the boxes and through their Localgiving appeal which meant they were able to start sending out the boxes and are applying for more funding.
There’s still time to DONATE By supporting ‘Art in a Box’ individuals and businesses are helping those in need to access a range of art and wellbeing resources, as well as taking some pressure off the dedicated teachers and facilitators.
Julie Norburn, Managing Director of Art4Space says “In these unprecedented times ‘Art in a Box’ gives space for arts to have a meaningful place to create, connect and inspire”. Eli Seath, Business Director says “We have worked hard to establish a solution for good quality art, creativity and wellbeing provision and we know through our 20 year experience how powerful the arts is to comfort unease”.
Get creative at home with Art4Space
The team from Art4Space is also sharing videos every other week on Thursdays to inspire you to get creative at home. Studio Manager, Louise Hildreth, has so far introduced the viewers to their latest project for Stockwell Primary School and showed how Art4Space works with designs. Business Director Eli has shown how to create a mosaic and design it if you have tiles and tools at home. Julie Norburn says: “You can look forward to my video at home on 21 May. I’m not a big fan of putting myself on the camera, but hey; it’s great to inspire others to be creative at home, especially during these weird times”.
#MyWishDish
Art4Space is also encouraging you to get creative and join their mandala inspired art project from your own home with My Wish Dish. This is part of BBC’s Get Creative at Home festival, which is running 18 – 24 May but can be done at any time.
Julie Norburn says: “We were supposed to run a mosaic workshop as part of this yearly festival, but then Covid19 hit in and Get Creative’s team had to change their strategy. Luckily they decided to just change it so we all can get creative at home.
“All you need is to create something with a round object. Mandala, which is Sanskrit for circle or discoid object, is a ritual symbol in Hinduism and Buddhism representing the universe. Its circular form symbolises the idea that life goes on, is infinite – that everything is connected. It also gives us a nice canvas to work from and encourages all kinds of symmetry, pattern and pattern breaking. Handily there are usually plenty of circular things at home you could repurpose, from paper plates to lids or you could cut your own from an old box!”
Workshop Facilitator, Fran Forcolini, who is managing the project says: “It felt relevant to consider and create a symbol of unity and progression when we find ourselves so atomised during these social distancing times. To focus and centre ourselves (also circular images) on a task and to share it with our community.”
Art4Space invites you to create your own mandala. Find your base and decorate it with whatever you wish – and don’t forget to add the positive thought, wish or intention. Then share your portrait with your Wish Dish in front of your face and share it on Instagram under #MyWishDish and maybe tag Art4Space’s instagram or send it to info@art4space.co.uk. To read more about how to create the Wish Dish visit Art4Space’s website.
Art4Space is a community arts organisation established in 1999 and based in Stockwell, London.. www.art4space.co.uk Please contact jewels@art4space.co.uk to find out more.
