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From the moment I asked Francesca if she wanted to collaborate with us (The London International Gallery of Children's Art) on a project on air pollution, her enthusiasm and support have been invaluable. Her creative ability and organisational skills have impressed me since the beginning. Francesca has been a great source of ideas and an effective team player: from shaping up the art lessons to delivering them with Susie, from curating the exhibition to mounting it, from designing the art workshop to very successfully running it, she has aced it all! I look forward to working with Francesca again, hopefully in the very near future
Paola Longobardi - Chair of the Board of Trustees of LIGCA - London International Gallery of Children’s Art
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Dear Francesca, it is with great pleasure that I write this recommendation for you following our collaboration on an art project aimed at promoting ocean protection from plastic. Your passion for the environment and creativity in using plastics to create meaningful artwork was truly inspiring. Throughout the project, you consistently demonstrated your commitment to raising awareness about the urgent issue of plastic pollution in our oceans. Your innovative ideas and artistic vision went beyond creating visually striking pieces; they also effectively conveyed the message of the dire consequences of plastic waste on marine life. Moreover, your ability to engage and empower children during the project was commendable. Your patience, encouragement, and ability to bring a sense of environmental responsibility in young minds were particularly noteworthy. The enthusiasm and dedication you brought to the workshops created a supportive and inspiring environment for the children to express themselves through art while learning about the importance of ocean conservation. Your talent in repurposing plastic materials into stunning sculptures and installations was truly remarkable. The way you transformed everyday objects into thought-provoking artwork was both visually captivating and emotionally impactful. Your artistic skills combined with your deep understanding of the environmental implications of plastic pollution helped to convey a powerful message to the audience. Not only did you excel creatively, but you also proved to be an excellent collaborator and team player during our project. Your open-mindedness and willingness to listen and incorporate others' ideas made the whole process seamless and enjoyable. Your ability to connect with people of all ages through art is truly remarkable, and I believe that your work will continue to inspire others. It is an honour to recommend you, Francesca, as an exceptional artist with a profound dedication to environmental conservation and ocean protection. Thank you for your invaluable contribution to our collaboration. I look forward to the positive impact you will undoubtedly continue to make with your artistry and activism. Sincerely,
Fernando Montaño
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We are so grateful to Francesca for her contribution to Earthfest. Leading up to the event, Francesca was responsive, helpful, and enthusiastic, making life so much easier for the event organisers. The art she produced for us was of the highest quality and met the brief perfectly, and quickly became a real talking point for event guests. At the event itself, Francesca contributed in multiple ways; participating in the Schools Programme by inspiring the next generation of eco-warriors, an event exhibitor, and a speaker on a panel about combating waste. The energy and positive attitude she brought could be felt by everyone. Francesca brought so much value to Earthfest and we can’t wait to work with her again.
Georgina McGivern, Programme Manager of The Camden Clean Air Initiative
A Breath of Fresh Air, 2018
MARCH 2018 - APRIL 2019
Collaborating with LIGCA on a project on air pollution with schools in London and New Delhi
AIMS: to increase the pupil’s awareness of the causes and effects of air pollution through cross-curricular learning with an emphasis on artistic expression and exploration. To further spread awareness on the issue to the public at large through exhibitions and workshops.
HOW: Schools taking part were invited to research this topic across the curriculum to suit the ages and interests of their pupils. The pupils involved were encouraged to find solutions to reduce air pollution and use the project as a source of discussion and exploration of ideas, with opportunities to Skype pupils in India and for schools in London to collaborate.
In London LIGCA provided a series of art workshops led by Susan Craven and myself, assisting students to help materialise their ideas and curating the artwork.
The workshops ran from September to November 2018, on a monthly basis. The children continued their artwork in-between these sessions with the help of their school art teachers.
Outcomes : To exhibit the pupil’s artwork in an exhibition in New Delhi in November 2018, and in London in March (& May) 2019, along with in situ workshops with primary and secondary schools.
Who took part in the project?
The Village School is a small independent preparatory school in Belsize Park, London. The art teacher, Susie Craven is one of the trustees of LIGCA, and helps to run the art workshops. Past collaborations with LIGCA include projects on Refugees, Nepal and Costa Rica. This project will contribute towards their application for the Green Flag award from Eco schools England. They will invite parents to two cultural assemblies either side of half term showcasing what the students have learnt from the project.
The Nirmal Bhartia School in New Delhi teaches children ages 3-18. It has a unique and progressive approach to learning; ‘Our community culture recognizes and places great value on the potential learning that can be had from interpersonal interactions and a sharing of experiences and perspectives. Indeed, we believe that one of the best ways for students to learn is with and from each other, in cooperative and collaborative ways. Thus rather than being passive receivers, our students debate and discuss, review each other’s work and learn through presentations and projects in the true spirit of community. Since most of life’s really important tasks involve working with others, they are uniquely equipped to achieve what they set out to do in the real world’.
The UCL Academy is sponsored by London’s global university and research institute (University College London) and housed in a unique and bespoke facility in Camden, London. The UCL Academy is a highly regarded secondary school with a vision of educating global citizens with the confidence, collaborative skills, and aspirations to make a difference. The school invited pupils to be included in this project as part of their enrichment program for talented and gifted students.
LIGCA (The London International Gallery of Children’s Art) is a small charity registered in England and Wales and its mission is to promote education, international understanding and awareness through children’s art. It was founded in 1995 by a group of international educators and art enthusiasts who wished to establish a venue in London for the celebration of children’s art. As an entirely volunteer-based organisation, LIGCA has collected art from different corners of the world, giving children the opportunity to express their culture, traditions and stories, and has curated over 50 exhibitions.
This project involved various events, as follows:
WORKSHOPS at The Village School and UCL Academy, September - November 2018
EXHIBITION IN NEW DELHI: VOICE OF ART 2018 - "A BREATH OF FRESH AIR", Sanskriti Kendra, Anandgram, M.G. Road, New Delhi - 110047, 30th November - 1st December 2018
EXHIBITION IN LONDON: “A BREATH OF FRESH AIR”, The Nerhu Centre, 8 South Audley Street, London W1K 1HF, 25th - 29th March 2019
WORKSHOPS at the Nerhu Centre, with Southbank International School and the Scuola Italiana a Londra (SIAL), 25th - 29th March 2019.
A Breath of Fresh Air has been an incredible experience for me, which I will treasure for life. Beautiful people of all sorts, in beautiful settings of all kinds, all coming together toward a common goal: to raise our voices on the threat of air pollution and the need to act upon it swiftly, at all levels.
Fernando’s Dance for the Sea, 2019
SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2018
It was such a pleasure to help with this project!
Fernando Montano is a soloist with the Royal Ballet (described by the BBC as the Billy Elliot of Colombia) who, together with West Hampstead photographer Robin Conway, is deeply concerned about the disastrous environmental impact of plastic in the oceans.
To raise awareness, Fernando designed an art installation - Dance for the Sea - which featured a series of still photographs and a video of Fernando dancing underwater amidst sculptures (fish, sea turtle, jellyfish, and net and floating plastic rubbish, as well as four large backdrops) assembled by various volunteers from London community groups using recycled single- use plastic. My part was to help Fernando and the volunteers with the creation of the sea creatures.
It was unveiled at The One Young World Summit 2019, London, 22 - 25 October, and it is now being scheduled in various venues across the world.
Earthfest 2024
18-21 April 2024
King's Cross, London
Earthfest is an experience that is more than an event - it’s the beginning of a movement. Learn from thought leaders and industry experts through interactive demonstrations, talks, and workshops. Through innovative solutions, live music and artists, we foster connections, ignite ideas, and inspire change. More info on https://www.earthfest.world/
My involvement really spanned throughout the whole event.
The month before: making the E A R T H F E S T sign, using leftover pins kindly donated by Living Streets and used corks (9 panels, 76x76cm each). Please see teaser above for a close-up!
School Day on Thursday 18th: giving a talk about my eco-artivist practice to secondary school students, engaging wit hthem on daily acts of kindness to the planet, gauging how much knowledge, care and actual activism the students have towards sustainability. Watering ther seeds for change, by providing an example of how a job can be re-thought to focus on sustainability and envourafging them to do so in whichever role and filed they are planning to specialise and work.
B2B Day on Friday 19th | Panel discussion on A Waste-free World: engaging in a stimulating conversation with like-minded innovators in different fields, coming from different backgrounds and approaches yet driven by the same goal. Led by Chloe Tuck from Enviral, with Joel Tasche from Cleanhub and Tessa Clarke from Olio (Share More, Waste Less).
Open Days on Saturday 20th and Sunday 21st: making the Earthfest logo in loco with the precious help of colleague mosaicists Marie-Paule Pierson and Bridget Kelly, using yet more leftover pins gently donated by Living Streets.
Overall, a tremendous experience: 4 days on intense exchange with like-minded people from different fields and backgrounds, yet all working together for a common goal: a greener, sustainable, thriving future for humanity in this wondrous planet.
Credits to Dale Vince for the teaser video and to Earthfest for most of the pics 💚