Facilitating Workshops

Liberty Festival, Space Tree at Trafalgar Square, September 2010

Arteast were commissioned to create a sculpture for the Children’s Art Zone reflecting the theme ‘Up in the Air’ in partnership with Emergency Exit Arts (EEA). Members of the group designed and created an interactive 3D Space Tree which consisted of a plywood structure, supporting a scaffolding pole and topped off with a clothes drying whirly gig. The sculpture was designed to be interactive for young children so they could write on the walls including messages from space, postcards from earth and draw pictures of aliens they had met.

Members of Arteast were involved at different stages of development, including design and implementation. This was an exciting sculptural art form that enabled them to improve skills such as building, painting as well as to display their artwork at Trafalger Square. Members found the work challenging but rewarding.

Liberty Festival London is an annual celebration in Trafalgar Square, celebrating the participation of disabled and hearing-impaired people in London’s culture. The festival provided a platform for Arteast to showcase their talent to a wide audience and build on their experience of creating a large outdoor sculpture. It provided a track record for future commissions and applications including High Street 2010 Application and the Lord Mayor’s show. A total of £500 profit was gained.

The Arteast group have the skills to facilitate workshops in contexts where they are in direct contact with members of the public.

‘ Sometimes I was drawing stuff, it was good fun…I liked all the stuff I did for it’ (Jane, Member)

‘I like to be messy and with the painting you get to be messy’ (Jim, member)

‘I liked doing the sawing, it was good. I liked doing the painting too’ (Khilam, Member)