Wonderful Ways to Work Together.

Up and down the country, in and out of the streets the beginning of July buzzed with communities working together in the name of Co-operation.  To kick start the very first Co-operative’s Fortnight the country celebrated the success of common partnership through open studios, band nights, quirky videos, and yes, you guessed it, mass participation Art.Works. 

Eager to participate in this national first Art.Works created the most artistic of afternoons slap bang in the middle of the birth place of Co-operation, Rochdale town Centre.  Together with the town’s folk of Rochdale we created a giant mural of the Rochdale Pioneer’s shop that would make co-operative hero Robert Owen proud!

On a blustery Monday afternoon Art.Works worked with fellow co-operators ‘Peace Effects Media’ to create a live art pastel picture and vibrant video.  We spread the co-operative message, (working together we can do so much more) and soon had a helpful crowd of passersby, shoppers and a whole assembly of school children ready to pitch in and pastel their town centre all the colours of the proverbial rainbow.

Without the good will of Rochdale’s finest residents we would not have achieved such a colourful creation, as one participant put it: ‘it’s good doing it like this innit? Get more out of it when we all pitch in’.  I couldn’t have put it better myself!

So huge thanks to the kids, the teachers, the grannies, the shoppers, the Falinge massive, the crew, them all.  Big up Peace Effects Media’ who are editing their awesome footage as I type (look out for the special blog post and feature on their finished product) and respect to Lindzi and John at Co-operative’s UK and David from the Co-operative Group for their help and expertise.

Art.Works in Africa!

There might be snow on the ground here in Littleborough, but in Africa there's a mosaic to be made! While the rest of us are stamping our feet and rubbing our fingers to keep warm Trish is busy getting creative in Aru, in the Congo. Not deterred by the lack of conventional materails, or indeed the searing heat, Trish has been working with the community to make a fantastic floor mosaic. They've been using stones, pebbles and a curious mix of Tuff Bond and water, how's that for creative thinking?!

I'm hoping Trish's French has improved a little since she flew out over a week ago as the last I heard she was 'going to have to rely on the art and drama of pulling of funny faces!!' to teach the pupils at the local school. oh, dear... but I can't wait to hear about her African adventures, spreading Art.Works to the furthest most points of the Atlas.

Back in frost bitten Blighty I've been busy taking bookings for book week, creating an awesome resource pack (if you've ever wanted to know how to screen print a t-shirt with sticky fingered seven year olds nows your chance!) and freelancing at Touchstones.

I left lots of smily faces puckering up with a huge cheesy grin on Saturday as I facilitated at the family fun day in Rochdale's inspiring museum, Touchstones. We created a pop up paper camera, perfect for capturing all those moments so vivid in the imagination, but the conventional camera lens doesn't always see. Everyone say cheeeeeeeeeese!

Art.Works

it's a monumental day, the very first blog from Cat at Art.Works, and, too be honest, I find it a bit scary, once I click 'publish post' it's here, on line forever! It'll be like an English essay littered with superlatives, but I'll try and get it right.

We at Art.Works have been busy beavering away, facilitating exiting projects in schools, with local services and even finding time to create are own little masterpieces.

We're just wrapping up our first special needs room renovation at St Mary's RC Primary, Oldham. With the help of kids in every key stage we've transformed a dull store room into a tactile learning space and can't wait to put the final touches to the room.

So get that paint brush out, give your primary colours a squirt and join in our colourful adventures here with Art.Works