Making May Mandalas around the world
International response to Kinetika’s May Mandala project
KINETIKA, the renowned arts organisation based in Purfleet, has been delighted to see an international response to its May Mandala project which is an open invitation to take part in this years’ Thurrock Walking Arts Festival – T100 Calling.
The Festival will take place in September. Starting at East Beach, Shoeburyness and ending in Purfleet-On-Thames, it will be walking, talking and making along the Thames Estuary – bringing communities safely together to reflect on issues including climate change, plastic waste, reclaiming public spaces, bio-diversity, growing sustainable communities, health and well-being – whilst collaboratively making beautiful mandalas from locally collected materials.
To get started Kinetika are inviting people to design and make themed mandalas at home during the month of May.
Since launching on Monday 4th May, the May Mandala project has attracted people from around the UK and as far away as India. Almost 100 people have joined the project Facebook group T100 walking artsto share their mandalas and downloaded the pack with tips, ideas and links for creating mandalas from the T100 website.
People have been very creative with their mandalas, making them from diverse items such as sewing threads, food, petals, nuts, books, buttons and pens. Participants in the project have found inspiration for mandalas in nature as well as in every day things such as car wheel hubs; one eagle-eyed member of the Facebook group spotted a drawn mandala on the wall at Abbey Road Studios in London. Colourful drawn mandalas have been shared from Scotland and even from Kolkata in West Bengal, India.
The May Mandala project is open to all and it’s not too late to join in and make a mandala to share. The main activity takes place from 25-30 May with daily themes to focus the creativity and mandala makes. It is an opportunity to think about the future and how it might be imagined differently. No special knowledge or equipment is needed to join in and the pack is free to download from www.thurrock100.com. The themes for next week are as follows:
Mon 25 Tide Turning – create a mandala from natural materials such as pebbles or shells.
Tues 26 – Spring Clean – recycle used or unloved plastic into a beautiful mandala.
Weds 27 – Make do and Mend – get creative with ceramics, glass or other things to repurpose.
Thurs 28 – In Other People’s Shoes – reflecting on the journeys you and others have travelled on foot design a shoe mandala.
Fri 29 – Renewal – create a natural mandala habitat in a garden, on a balcony or window box.
Sat 30 – Grow Your Own – make a mandala from local produce, things you have grown yourself or plant seeds for the future.
Sun 31 – Imagination Our Nation – How can we creatively imagine our future? Help us to think about what other materials we could use for mandalas by making your own, showing us other things that matter to you!
Ali Pretty, Artistic Director of Kineitka said ‘ We’ve been greatly inspired by artist, Therese Muskus, both by the design of her amazing natural mandalas, but also her way of living. We hope that through this period of transition, isolation and reflection we will take the time to question our values and imagine new ways in which our resilient, resourceful communities can be healthy, future-proof, creative and welcoming.”
To find out more, download the pack and get started designing, please go to www.thurrock100.com
More details about T100 Calling
http://thurrock100.com/get-involved-with-t100-2020/.
