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Feature Item:
Art of the matter
Tuesday, 05 July 2011
By Lindsay Burns
INNOVATIVE art is opening inner-city children’s eyes to environmental issues and the value of their community.
Jade Mitchell, 25, uses art projects to work with young people in Borough and Elephant & Castle.
She highlights the the importance of recycling and reuse through her organisation Creative Landscapes.
Projects it has run have included scrap craft workshops for children, a festival called Art Cycle, foraging for wild foods, composing and photo workshops.
She even organised for a graffiti mural to be created using leftover paint – as it can be harmful to the environment if it is thrown away.
Miss Mitchell was inspired to set up the project after working for reproductive health charity Wellbeing of Women in a deprived Nepalese community.
She has been nominated for an Our Heroes Award as part of this paper’s campaign to recognise the achievements of South Londoners.
Miss Mitchell, who grew up in Elephant & Castle, said: “I was living in a really poor village in Nepal. There’s no electricity there for most of the day.
“I realised that people really didn’t waste anything there, because they couldn’t afford to.
“It really put things into perspective and made me realise how wasteful we are. So I started coming up with different projects to do with art and the environment.”
The 02 Think Big scheme for new projects has supported her scheme with a £2,500 contribution.
Her next project is a Thames foreshore hunt for discarded plastic, which will be made into a massive sculpture by the youngsters involved.
Miss Mitchell said: “They don’t know what it’s going to look like until they have collected all the rubbish on the day.
“We can offer new experiences, outside their scope of familiarity. Some come back and they’re really into it, but others hold back because they think they’re not creative, which is a shame.”
She said she would eventually like to set up a business, running community events and working more young people.
Miss Mitchell said: “The kind of thing we do works really well at community events.
So I can see us getting work through that.”
Our Heroes Awards nominees’ stories will be given to a panel of judges after the closing date so that winners can be chosen.
The campaign culminates in a gala ceremony at the South Bank headquarters of sponsors Shell on November 15.
Copyright Tindle Newspapers Ltd Friday, 24 May 2013
Other Our Heroes Awards 2011:
Ex-Heroes reveal Junction wish list - Tuesday, 01/Nov/2011
Proving kids can be good citizens - Tuesday, 11/Oct/2011
We keep on caring when state stops - Friday, 30/Sep/2011
Friends to ‘needy’ - Wednesday, 28/Sep/2011
Actor’s dedication to common touch - Friday, 23/Sep/2011
Shakespeare actor has common touch - Wednesday, 21/Sep/2011
‘I know my son will become blind’ - Friday, 16/Sep/2011
Son’s illness inspires mum - Wednesday, 14/Sep/2011
A taste of success for prison officer - Tuesday, 13/Sep/2011
Nine-year-old raises £200k for park - Friday, 09/Sep/2011
Denise helps teens patch up their lives - Tuesday, 06/Sep/2011
From pop charts to criminology... - Friday, 02/Sep/2011
‘Extra mile? Dave goes the extra continent - Wednesday, 31/Aug/2011
Headbutt couldn’t stop me in riot role - Friday, 26/Aug/2011
I tried to make a difference... - Tuesday, 23/Aug/2011
‘Creative kids less likely to turn against society’ - Friday, 19/Aug/2011
‘Whirlwind’ rugby fan trains Tigers - Tuesday, 16/Aug/2011
Grandad’s quest to help kids walk for first time - Wednesday, 10/Aug/2011
‘I want people to have hope’ - Friday, 05/Aug/2011
‘I just can’t stop my fundraising’ - Tuesday, 02/Aug/2011
A real kick from football training - Friday, 29/Jul/2011
Lifesaver: It was nothing special - Tuesday, 26/Jul/2011
Keey site to keep kids out of trouble - Friday, 22/Jul/2011
Rapping teacher is role model for kids - Tuesday, 19/Jul/2011
Advice on gardening from the grown-ups - Friday, 15/Jul/2011
If I help one person, it’ll be worthwhile - Tuesday, 12/Jul/2011
‘Life can change with just a word’ - Friday, 08/Jul/2011
Getting to art of the matter - Wednesday, 06/Jul/2011
Art of the matter - Tuesday, 05/Jul/2011
‘John has given voice to people at the bottom’ - Wednesday, 29/Jun/2011
Martial arts man fighting for peace - Tuesday, 28/Jun/2011
Mr Grass Roots in the running for Our Heroes award - Friday, 24/Jun/2011
‘I love looking after children’ - Tuesday, 21/Jun/2011
‘Always trying to make us laugh...’ - Friday, 17/Jun/2011
Dynamic duo’s battling spirit - Thursday, 16/Jun/2011
‘I lifted him like sumo wrestler’ - Friday, 03/Jun/2011
Prime Minister helps launch the hunt for South London's unsung heroes - Friday, 27/May/2011
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