Who can really believe it’s the end of another year?! And what a year it has been for fairandfunky. We have to admit that the pandemic took its toll on us, and it’s been hard work getting back on our feet, back doing what we love – running workshops in schools and in the community. But we are BACK!
We returned to the fairandfunky office in the Spring, just in time to celebrate our 10th birthday. And since then, we’ve been working in schools, at festivals, museums, community events and more. Rebuilding our networks, celebrating friendships, and welcoming new partnerships. Here are some of our highlights……
We officially launched our new range of SCRAPtastic Stories workshops at Read Holmfirth this year. We’ve carefully selected a range of books with an environmental message to share with early years and KS1 children in a new storytelling and recycled crafts workshop, and we love them!
In September we completed the 90kg Rice Challenge in one weekend at the Holmfirth Food and Drink Festival! An amazing achievement, and fabulous to know we have made a real difference to farmers and their communities in Malawi.
SCRAPtastic Crafternoons are now a regular fixture in the Holmfirth calendar thanks to our residency at Unity Yard. On the first Saturday of every month we welcome crafters to create independent artworks from household rubbish – don’t throw it away, make something! See you there on the 7th January 2023.
Working with our friends at Meltham CE Primary School we took part in Art In The Garden with Holmfirth Arts Festival in June. Taking inspiration from a Yoruba poem: “Enjoy the earth gently, enjoy the earth gently, for if it is spoiled, it cannot be repaired, enjoy the earth gently;” we created a collaborative outdoor artwork.
In October we joined Kirklees Council’s Climate Youth Festival and with 20 schools we led a creative recycling workshop in which every participant made a wallet from a juice carton. It was brilliant to part of such a caring and active community.
A renewed partnership this year is with The Coop Group and their school academies. We were buzzing after our day at Glebe Academy – creating over 150 bees and a giant sunflower. Closely followed by an afternoon of community crafts with New Islington in Manchester. We are looking forward to joining their eco conference in April next year!
Back in August we were with Sangam Festival in Huddersfield making a flock of birds with families from across Kirklees. A fabulous inclusive festival to be part of, and some wonderful creations made by people of ALL ages.
And our ‘SCRAP that Plastic’ workshops with Central Coop continue to be a much-loved workshop – for us and the schools. The range of recycled sea creatures we have made now include sharks, dolphins, whales, an octopus and turtles. We wonder what we’ll be challenged to create next?!
We get so much joy from working with young people, empowering them to take little steps to change the world through creativity and sharing in their incredible imaginations. Thank you for supporting us over the last 10 years, but especially this year. And do get in touch if you’d like us to work with your school, in your community or at your festival. We’re looking forward to 2023 and taking bookings already!!
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