Stockton-on-Tees has recently been ranked as the least eco-friendly town in England, with the least sustainability. ARC have programmed three Big Green Workshops that will run throughout Autumn, starting in Great Big Green Week, in the hopes of inspiring the local community to create sustainable art using everyday items and to think more about making small changes to improve the towns sustainability.
Saturday 18 September marks the start of the Great Big Green Week all across the UK, which is a chance for everyone to come together and celebrate after the difficulties of the last year and look forward to a greener, healthier future. This year the week is particularly important as the UK will be hosting a major UN climate summit, known as COP26, in Glasgow this November.
The first workshop, Print Making with Nature, will take place on Saturday 18 September and will be led by Newcastle based artist Mani Kambo. Mani will guide participants through a range of print-making techniques using leaves that they will gather ahead of the workshop to create botanical inspired prints.
On Saturday 2 October a workshop focusing on a traditional Japanese tie-dyeing technique called Shibori, which dates back to the 8th century, will lead participants through all aspects of the dyeing to create a tote bag. Participants to this workshop are also invited to bring in items of clothing or other fabric to dye.
The final Big Green Workshop, on Saturday 27 November, will be led by founder of Papaya Press, and one of ARC’s Artist’s of Change, Lauren Vevers. Lauren will host a relaxed and informal Environmental Activism Zine Making workshop, where she will guide participants through collage and cut-up techniques to create zines on the theme of environment.