Date: May/June 2024
Location: Faversham Recreation Ground
Funded By: Swale Borough Council
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Drawing on her experience working with community groups, arts educator and maker Gemma Gottelier led a group of 16 Age UK participants in a series of four creative sessions at Faversham Recreation Ground throughout May and June.
Gemma provided a welcoming and calming environment in which participants enjoyed expressing their creativity through a range of carefully curated crafting activities, with tea and coffee, biscuits and chat.
The multi-sensory sessions were inspired by spring plants; birds, bees and other wildlife. The group explored foraged flora and aromatherapy oils to make naturally-scented clay pendant decorations – using clay-making skills and tools; adding petals and leaves. The older makers wove aromatic flowers and herbs, and delicate paper flowers they made, into a spring wreath and created botanically-patterned ties for them. They decorated recycled honey jar lanterns with the flowers that Gemma had pressed and hand-rolled natural beeswax candles for their beautiful lanterns – enjoying the natural earthy aroma, texture and ingenuity of the honeycomb. Inspired by OS’ artist, Martin Brockman’s, woodcut prints of endangered birds in his exhibition at the blackShed gallery, the group drew bird designs which informed the decoration of their ceramic bird feeders.
“Congratulations for a great event! I gather the community room was packed with excited Age UK participants.” Activity Co-ordinator at Swale Borough Council