A Stoke-on-Trent community will celebrate Christmas with a twist this year.
Meir will be home to a spectacular six metre high Christmas tree – made from thousands of discarded plastic bags.
The colourful Consumerist Christmas Tree has been commissioned by the Meir Christmas Events Board working with the arts programme, Appetite. The tree will be next to the Health Centre in the middle of Meir.
An appeal has gone out for people to donate their unwanted plastic shopping bags to the project.
The Consumerist Christmas Tree was a huge hit with visitors to the well-known Lumiere Festival in Durham last year,
It was seen by community arts enthusiasts from Stoke-on-Trent on a trip to Lumiere organised by Appetite.
Now preparations are well underway for the Christmas lights switch-on and parade in Meir on Friday, December 5.
“The Consumerist Christmas Tree by Luzinterruptus will dazzle all who see it and there will not be a bit of tinsel in sight,” said Karl Greenwood, of Appetite.
“The tree will be made from thousands of plastic bags donated by the community and, as well as providing a spectacular Christmas centre piece, the tree challenges our throwaway society and the environmental consequences of consumerism which are particularly evident around Christmas time.”
Organisers are appealing for people to donate bags at any of eight drop off points: Meir Education Centre, Meir Library, The Co-Op, Meir, Holy Trinity Church, Broadway Methodist Church, Sandon Primary School, Weston Coyney Junior School, Abbey Hill School and Performing Arts Centre.
A series of workshops will be held where local people can help turn plastic bags into giant baubles.
Workshop times and locations are:
Tuesday, November 25, 11.30am – 5.30pm, Meir Education Centre
Wednesday, November 26, 1pm – 5.30pm, Meir Education Centre
Thursday, November 27, 1pm – 5.30pm, Broadway Methodist Church
Friday, November 28, 12 noon – 5pm, Meir Education Centre
Saturday, November 29, 10am – 12.30pm, Meir Education Centre.
ENDS
For media enquiries contact Nigel Howle by telephone on 0776 2043436, e-mail [email protected].
Notes to Editors:
Appetite is the Creative People and Places programme taking place in Stoke-on-Trent from 2013 to 2016. Appetite aims to get more people in Stoke-on-Trent to experience and be inspired by the arts. This investment in the arts and cultural sector of the area aims to mobilise and strengthen the skills, knowledge and infrastructure that already exists within the area and provide unprecedented opportunities for more people to see, make and influence more art in the city.
The Appetite programme is funded by Arts Council England and is led by the New Vic Theatre in partnership with B Arts, Brighter Futures, Partners in Creative Learning and Staffordshire University. It is supported by Stoke-on-Trent City Council.
Visit the Appetite website at www.appetitestoke.co.uk