By Eric White
PURFLEET-BASED arts organisation Kinetika is inviting everyone who enjoys creative activities to help paint 100 small silk flags, each one representing one of the stories collected during this year’s Thurrock 100 stories project.
The 70cm x 70cm flags will feature simple designs taken from drawings provided by children who have been taking part in workshops in many Thurrock schools this month. The designs will be transferred onto silk squares using hot wax and then painted using brightly coloured cold-water dyes.
Later the wax is removed and the silks processed to fix the dye.
Artist Jacci Todd is inviting residents of all ages to come and help paint the flags at the Kinetika studios at High House Production Park between Monday 6th and Saturday 18th June. She said: "I can promise that anyone who enjoys doing creative things will absolutely love this!
"Painting the batik flags will be a really rewarding experience – it’s quite simple, so you don’t need any special experience or training, and the results are wonderful. You are welcome to drop in for an hour or two, or stay all week – it’s up to you!"
Retired teacher Lesley Robinsonfrom South Ockendon has volunteered on flag painting projects with Kinetika several times and will be helping out again this time. "I got involved with Kinetika last year and have really enjoyed the projects I’ve done with them. Painting on silk isn’t
hard, and you get really fantastic results immediately! It’s great to do something creative with other __like-minded people: I was really proud of what we produced last year and I’m looking forward to painting lots more flags this time!"
Kinetika’s studio will be open from Monday 6th June until Saturday 18th, 12 noon – 8pm on weekdays and 10am – 6pm on Saturdays. Please book a free place at www.thurrock100.com/100-flags.
The flags are being made as part of Kinetika’s Thurrock 100 stories community project, which has been funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) and Arts Council England and is supported by Thurrock Council and Coalhouse Fort.
The project will culminate in 10 days of walks and talks in Thurrock 8 – 17 July.
For more information visit:
www.thurrock100.com
www.twitter.com/@thurrock100
www.facebook.com/thurrock100
