A Liverpool Theatre company is starting a new community art project aimed at tackling litter in Liverpool.
The Seeds of Change project will work with community groups to create a project using litter found on the streets.
The project wants to create a large tree that will be put at the old swimming baths on Lodge Lane.
The project is run by Tmesis Theatre – a physical theatre company that has existed since 2003. They started the project following an investigation into local feelings about litter, fly-tipping, and rubbish in the community.
Elinor Randle, the Artistic Director of Tmesis Theatre, said: “We basically came up with the idea of this project to create something out of rubbish, so recycled art.”
“We came up with the idea of a tree because of the kind of growth and transformational change. And that image is a really nice idea on the green space.”
“I’m really excited to be doing something where I live and to have that visibility and hopefully some positive change”
Tmesis Theatre will also work with Liverpool artist Faith Bebbington who makes a large amount of recycled sculptures. Ms Bebbington has done work for national commissions and Culture Liverpool as well as other local projects.
The project has several phases, starting with online meetings before community litter picks and craft workshops in May and June. There will be a festival to celebrate the project’s completion in August.
Ms Randle said: “On the bank holiday weekend we’d launch the sculpture and we’d have a weekend of performance.”
“So really celebrating the community and celebrating that this is something that’s been made together by everyone so it’s doing quite a few different things it’s just really amazing”
The project has found a strong community response with many community groups being eager to involve themselves in the project.
Ms Randle said: “It was really nice to go round, there are so many different groups in the area, and everyone was just brilliant.”
Ms Randle added: “I know that we’re not going to single-handedly solve the problems with rubbish but I think it really is about community action.”
“It’s about seeing something visible happening and people going ok maybe I won’t drop that or maybe all my crisp packets can be turned into leave for the tree.”
For more information on the project click here.
For more information on communities in Liverpool click here.
(Photo courtesy of Tmesis Theatre)
