Iona Hodgson is the Co-Director of Art Eat, which is delivering a campaign inviting Lowestoft locals to talk about the climate crisis and inspire two murals in the town. Ahead of the first session this evening, she explains how the project is about people’s voices being heard
On the 70th anniversary year of the 1953 floods, the We Are Here project will be in Lowestoft to talk with the community about the climate crisis and help create two murals for the town. Using art to strengthen voices, the team need your ideas. The project will develop these into two large scale artworks which will be completed this Spring. We Are Here is a joint campaign from Rights Community Action and Glimpse, delivered by Art Eat working with artists from Bud Studio.
Iona Hodgson, Co-Director of Art Eat, says: ‘We are thrilled to have the opportunity to develop this project in Lowestoft. Working with Rights Community Action is hugely inspiring for us, and we welcome everyone in the town to come and be a part of this project and have your voices heard.
Anira Khokhar, Community Development Lead for the #WeAreHere campaign, adds: ‘We Are Here is about more of us being heard – especially those of us facing the most severe impacts of climate change now and in future. As our new flood map shows, people who live in the Suffolk Coastal region will experience more flooding of their homes and businesses because of the climate crisis, and more action from those in power is needed. Art Eat has a deep understanding of the power of working together to create public art. They know that it unites people, amplifies their voice and galvanises change. We are delighted to work with them on this project.’
The project mural design will be led by prolific community artists Albert Clegg and Zoe Alleyne from Bud Studio originally set-up their company in Norwich and are now based in London. Working with communities, discussing and discovering together is a large part of the work that they do, and they have collaborated with many communities to create artwork that reflects the voices of local people.
Workshops are open to everyone and can be attended as single sessions or as a complete set. People from all walks of life and all areas of Lowestoft are encouraged to take part. Free drinks and food will be provided so please come along to meet people, discuss the climate crisis and be a part of a bigger campaign to take part in climate change decisions on a local and national level.
The We Are Here – Climate Discussion Session & Mural Design Idea Workshops are free and will be held at The Grit, Lowestoft Arts and Heritage Centre, Old Nelson St, Lowestoft NR32 1EQ on the following dates: Thursday 2nd March, 6-8pm Session 1 – Climate crisis discussion and sharing ideas; Thursday 9th March, 5-8.30pm Session 2 – Art Workshops; Thursday 16th March, 6-8pm Session 3 – Climate crisis discussion, what to do next? No skills required but registration is encouraged. Please go to Eventbrite to register or send a text to Iona on 07719 281078. Each session will open 30 minutes before the start. The project is actively looking for large public facing walls, fascias and gable ends in Lowestoft to paint the final mural designs onto. If you own a building or run a business that has a suitable wall that you would like to offer, please get in touch asap via arteatevents.com. Follow @arteatevents and the #WeAreHere hashtag. We Are Here is commissioned by Rights Community Action.
Featured image of Iona Hodgson (c) Iona Hodgson
Leave a Reply