Island 2000 Trust Blog

Well, it is now upon us.   The Big Green Picnic kicks off in about two and a half hours.   Island 2000 have been busy preparing all kinds of stuff, from lollipop signs to entrance way arches.  Gift to Nature will be there throughout the day, with an opportunity to see video clips of our work and have a chat with staff about our Friends scheme and the projects it helps bring to life.  Magpie has turned some rubbish into incredible creations which will be on show around the Biffa waste displays.  There will also be some interesting on-street signage, but more of that after the event….   I’m not going to post any images of the amazing creations that will be there, as you should come and see them for yourself.  County Hall  Car Park, Newport from 10-6 Saturday and Sunday.  Oh and there’s lots more interesting stuff from other people too!

We now have a lovely new logo for our Magpie project created by Ventnor based illustrator Nicola Winsland.

Magpie is all about reusing and recycling scrap or unwanted materials in a creative way. This can be for a whole range of purposes and often results in a bit of ‘upcycling’ (which is a rather clunky term meaning making things better than they were in the first place!).

Most recently we have been asked to create some signs for the Council’s Big Green Picnic this weekend. Fortunately we have some expert Magpie scroungers on our I2k staff and we’ve managed to get a hold of some old lollipop sticks that aren’t used for school crossings any more and we’ve made them into handy signs that will be used to help direct people to the site.

Look out for Dan’s giant ‘Welcome’ arches on the day too.

We’ve also been working with the IW Festival and Biffa to get artists to decorate some large bins that will be used during the festival. One of them will actually be a giant collection box for bee conservation work so we thought who better do design it than artist and actual Bee (albeit the musician kind) Aaron Fletcher.

Last but not least, The ‘Dolly Mixtures’ exhibition is now up in the Learning Curve Gallery at Quay Arts. The exhibition has been brought together in partnership with St Georges school to help raise awareness and funds for their Dragon project (www.stgeorgesdragon.com) which is a unique project to help increase opportunities for pupils at the school. Catalogues are on sale from Quay Arts or Island 2000 (hannah@island2000.org.uk or 298098 ext 102) for £5 and they include a raffle ticket for a draw on Thurs 29th May where all of the dolls in the exhibition will be raffled off. There’s some real gems in there so make sure you buy your ticket in time.

Island 2000 have teamed up with staff at St Georges school to present Dolly Mixtures.

Dolly Mixtures is an eclectic mish-mash of art dolls created from an equally eclectic range of materials by more than 20 Island-based artists exhibited in the Learning Curve Gallery at Quay Arts from 17th May in support of the St George’s School DRAGON Project.

Visitors to the exhibition will have the rare opportunity to own these pieces of art and to support a good cause at the same time as they will be raffled off to raise funds for the project.

Catalogues will be on sale at the Quay for £5 which will include a raffle ticket on which you can indicate your favourite ‘dolly mixture’ doll. The draw takes place on Thursday 29th May (between 6-8pm), so do go along to buy your ticket and see the draw. If you can’t get to the Quay to buy a catalogue e-mail hannah@island2000.org.uk for info on other outlets.

The DRAGON project at St George’s is an amazing and ambitious new kind of learning centre run by students for students. It will offer new opportunities for pupils at St Georges School as well as pupils across the Island who can come and use the unique bespoke facilities.

Check out the official website to read more about the project

image courtesy of Judes Crow

As part of Sandown Primary’s grounds development project Dan was commissioned to make a lovely wooden xylophone fence. The children love it and it’s a special musical addition to the rest of the creative outdoor classroom at the school.

Hmmm… but how would one transport a 3m wooden xylophone from our offices in East Cowes to Sandown I hear you ask…..?

At night, by bicycle of course.

Our latest video should be visible below, if not, click here to view it.

Artists and friends of the ‘Gift to Nature’ scheme will be at Dimbola Lodge Museum at 11am on Sat 8^th March to view a new range of unique and specially commissioned donation boxes for the scheme.

The wooden donation boxes were made by Vestas as part of an ‘Arts & Business’ supported project. These blank boxes were then given to six commissioned artists for them to redesign, decorate and transform into beautiful boxes that would encourage people to donate money to Gift to Nature.

Anne Bodemeaid, Michael Forrest, Gemma Bell, Miranda Amapola, Jeff Dyson and Chris Jenkins have collectively produced a great array of inventive and novel designs. Such was the appeal of the design challenge that a number of other boxes will be on display that have been designed by friends and staff members of Island 2000 Trust too.

The boxes will be on display in the tearoom at Dimbola Lodge for a further week if you would like to go and see them for yourselves. To find out more about the Gift to Nature scheme and how to become a ‘friend’ please visit www.gifttonature.org.uk . After the display the boxes will be put to use and find their way into Island businesses and Tourist Information Centres

East Cowes Primary students braved the cold January weather to make their contribution to the East Cowes Alphabet on Castle Street under the artistic guidance of artists Nathan Holt and Aaron Fletcher. Reception and Year 1 children got stuck in with paint, sponges and stencils to add to the Alphabet. A is for Apple, H is for Helicopter, S is for Spectacles, Sunglasses and Shades and Z, well Z is for Zombies of course.

The alphabet is part of the ‘No Barriers’ project for East Cowes supported by SEEDA. Look out for more additions to the alphabet and more art on the hoardings in the coming months.

Proof, if needed, that nature can survive in the most urban of settings as two magnificent bushes have blossomed on a roundabout in East Cowes.

After the disappointing vandalism of the new suitcase sculptures at Merstone old railway station, harmony was restored as they were heroically rebuilt like the phoenix rising from the flames. Ok, that is very slightly over the top but you get my drift.

Famously “not looking for retribution”, Mr George is now said to be merely waiting for his train home.

He may be waiting some time.