This project is almost like a pregnancy – the idea was conceived quite a while ago, and since then I have been expectant in developing the idea, meeting people who would love to take part, both as participants or artistic collaborators – now I can’t wait to ‘give birth’!
“I am ME” which will be series of creative workshops aimed at mothers. As a mother of 3, involved in various toddler and community groups, I realise how difficult it is to keep, or rediscover your own identity when you take on the amazing but challenging role of motherhood. A great way of expressing many facets and thoughts is through collage and mixed media, and this will be an important part of the overall artwork. Through a series of 10 workshops, I would like women to be able to spend time expressing their identity creatively, learning new skills, producing journals as keepsakes, finally having their artwork on show around the shopping area in Jardine Crescent, Tile Hill, and in printed books (also available on-line).
The first workshop will be an overview of the project and the participants will be photographed to make a body outline. At the end of each subsequent workshop, every participant will have produced a piece of artwork which will be used for a different part of their ‘body’. Each session will have a related theme, for instance the first session will be based on ‘places you have been or would like to go’ and a collage will form the first ‘leg’. For the ‘torso’ section of the artwork we will be thinking about what we like to eat and drink, and give it a healthy approach, introducing the ladies to EnviroArt. The ‘heart’ workshop will look at love and / or faith and the ‘guest’ will be a writer / blogger. The ‘arms’ will look at both creativity and working lives, and a henna artist and a textile artist will be doing workshops.
The finished artwork will be life-sized people-shaped mixed-media installed on pillars by the Shopping Centre. The main achievements would be for participants to realise the project title ‘I am ME’, to be inspired to try other skills, and for personal creative development for both the participants and the collaborating artists.