Scroll down for current and past Arts events at RISC.

Contact Shehnoor Ahmed at RISC for more information
0118 958 6692

shehnoor@risc.org.uk

The Plastic Plague
• About four-fifths of marine litter comes from land, swept by wind or washed by rain off highways and city streets, down streams and rivers, and out to sea. Nearly 90% of this floating waste is plastic.
• In June 2006, a United Nations Environmental Program report estimated that there are an average of 46,000 pieces of plastic debris floating on or near the surface of every square mile of ocean.
• The report "Plastic Debris in the World's Oceans", by international environmental group Greenpeace, said at least 267 marine species are known to have suffered from entanglement or ingestion of debris. An estimated 1 million seabirds choke or get tangled in plastic nets, or other rubbish every year.
• Because there are so many different types, plastic is very difficult (and expensive) to recycle. In fact, unless burned (which can be very dangerous as this releases toxic fumes) plastic never really disappears from our planet.
Plastic Bags
• On average a person uses a plastic bag for 12 minutes before disposing. It then lasts in the environment between 500 to 1000 years. The world uses over 1.2 trillion plastic bags a year. That averages about 300 bags for each adult on the planet, or one million bags being used per minute.
• In Britain, approximately 13 billion plastic bags are given out to shoppers every year and at least 200 million end up as litter on our beaches, streets and parks.
• Many marine animals mistake plastic bags for food, with painful and often fatal consequences. After an animal is killed by plastic bags, its body decomposes and the plastic is released back into the environment where it can kill again.
• Many countries have banned plastic bags or imposed taxes to reduce their use. Some towns in the UK have gone Plastic Bag Free.

You can find further information on:
http://www.messageinthewaves.com/
http://www.plasticbagfree.com/

ACTION THROUGH ART

If one purpose of art is to make people think, Fran Crowe certainly did just that. The Suffolk based artist’s actions took place on the seashore. She resolved to ‘save’ one square mile of ocean by collecting 46,000 pieces of litter whilst walking on the beaches near her home.
Plastic Fantastic is an exhibition that Fran created for RISC. It was also designed to be suitable for many other locations (such as schools and libraries) to inform people about the use of plastics and its impact on the environment.

On the evening of 16th January 2007, she talked to Reading community at RISC Conference Hall about her work and her experience of the plastic waste in the world’s oceans. After her explanation, the public had the opportunity to discuss the actions that could be done in the Reading area.

The exhibition will be at Global Café until 22nd February 2008.

More information about her work can be found at:
www.flyintheface.com

What can YOU do about plastic pollution?

Our suggestions are:

1. Reduce your use of plastic products. Be conscious of all that you buy and try to avoid disposable products and anything with excessive packaging.
2. Help clean it up: taking part in local stream, river, wetland and beach clean-ups – or start your own.
3. Refuse plastic carrier bags wherever possible, carrying an alternative with you. Re-use the bags that you have.
4. Refuse items using plastic for disposable uses, such as packaging, take away food and drinks.
5. Dispose of your plastic waste properly – recycling, re-using or re-homing items wherever possible.
6. Do not support balloon releases and never let go of a balloon outdoors.
7. Support organizations like Marine Conservation Society and Greenpeace who are campaigning for better protection of our ocean and wildlife.
8. Be pro-active: if this issue concerns you, tell other people about the facts.

We can all make a difference.
Remember: ‘No-one made a greater mistake than who did nothing because he could do so little.’ (Edmund Burke)

Review to follow... More about Fran Crowes Plastic Fantastic
exhibition on BBC Radio Berkshire

The exhibition has oil paintings concerning endangered plants which were inspired by and referencing two books about endangered wild flower plants. Through the act of painting the images of the flowers can be preserved, but also the lost within the paint and canvas surface.

The digital print images taken at Tolhurst Veganic (vegan and organic) Produce Growers near Pangbourne act as duets in ways of seeing.

I am working on making 12 digital videos over the course of a year, one for each month, documenting the growing seasons and biodiversity at Tolhurst?s. It is a systematic operation, on each visit, I journey by train from Reading, 9 minuets, I then walk 1.9miles out to the Tolhurst fields and walled garden at the Hardwick Estate, I then follow a similar route around the garden, looking through the camera at the plant life activity, I then walk back out towards the fields mapping what I see through the growing season. Always noting the changes from each visit.

biog
Kate Corder graduated in 2006 from The Department of Fine Art, University of Reading with a Masters in Fine Art.

She is a multi-disciplined artist, working in different formats; painting, mixed media, DVD, and sculptural installation. The work that she makes is concerned with ethics, climate change, animals in their natural worlds', veganism, speciesism, recycling materials, green issues, Art History, myth, appropriation, holistic intervention....

 

Last Tuesday we launched our Alternative pottery night at Global cafe. (next event is 15 May)

A few folk rocked up with their aprons and rolling pins ready to attack clay and were a little surprised to be confronted by plastic bottles, old frames, smelly shoe boxes and rolls of tape.

Fortunatly people were prepared for the challenge and embraced the alternative side to pottery. Wardrobe organisers were made, Rothko plant holders, a much hated mobile converted into a bicycle basket, retro lampshades made out of cardboard packaging.

Tutu, seeing us painting beer bottle tops was reminded of the way children, in Ethiopia, make toys from materials such as bottle tops and fizzy tin cans. We can make them into earrings and snake like necklaces (though we couldn?t work out how to punch holes in them? hmmm any ideas?!?

Tutu has now set us a challenge of creating a rattling apron.

One of the many sources of inspiration from contemporary artists such as Al Anatsui and Remould Hazoume who re constitute materials to create new meanings and dialogue: invoking the spirits, the invisible in objects.

As well as re using old stuff we were finding new meanings and find beauty in the discarded andthe ugly. We question our own way of seeing and handling material, giving them an identity, concocted from elements of its past and its re birth into the present.

If you would like to join us for our monthly alternative pottery night and have ideas/interest

Then join us on Tuesday 15th May 2007 from 7pm
For more details contact
shehnoor@risc.org.uk

Feedback:

We need more of this kind of stuff, which is fun, freeing and imaginative and the skips around reading are full of usable stuff. Always fun to do what is reserved just for kids??
Juliet

Lots of fun and interesting ideas in a relaxed environment: thoroughly enjoyable and well planned?.
Clare and Janet

Thanks for you all inspiring me to complete a project that I had in my head
Angie

Wowee, I like mess and sticking things together, and I made an odd thing that annoyed me into a new thing that makes me happy?do it again!?
Jude

Images-
1 Shady El Noshoaty- Thetree of my grandmothers house, 2001
2 Ernest du Negre ? Coconut fibre
3 Al Anatsui Sasa 2004
4 alternative pottery crew

Alternative pottery night
TUESDAY 27TH MARCH 2007

FROM 7-9PM IN THE GLOBAL CAFE
Re make, re use yer bits and pieces
into something useful!

To make a stylish divider for your wardrobe and a plant pot picture frame,
you will need : ( dont worry if you do not have everything, bring what you can andshare!)
Sissors,
glue plastic bottles Tape (electrical,
gaffa, coloured) old picture frames
empty shoe boxes pot plants
coat hangers cork tops from wine bottles, soil, old clothes
- Some ideas and anything you think you can remake into something useful.....

If you are curious ask the bar staff for more details

or call Shehnoor on
0118 958 6692

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