Artists showcasing work at Sandwell festival
A display of 1,200 hand-made ceramic flowers made as part of a Sandwell arts project will receive national attention at a top gardening show this week.
The Royal Horticultural Society’s Malvern Spring Festival is featuring Creative Arts’ 'ceramic garden' at this year’s festival which started today (THUR) and runs until Sunday.
Sandwell’s deputy mayor councillor Susan Downing was joining artists from Creative Arts at the show today to see the garden on display.
She said: “This is a wonderful achievement – Sandwell and our talented artists will really shine at the Malvern Spring Festival, a major national show that attracts visitors from all over the country.
“It’s the perfect swansong for the Ceramic Garden, to celebrate the efforts of everyone – aged four to 92 – involved in this project.”
The project has already won a top award from the Royal Horticultural Society.
It received a Britain in Bloom Award, part of the It’s Your Neighbourhood category.
The team behind the project is also keen to receive offers from visitors to buy the entire exhibit.
Sandwell Council-run Creative Arts, which provides day opportunities for people with disabilities, set up the project last year with arts organisation Creative Black Country.
More than 500 people from a range of community and education groups across the Black Country helped make the magical ceramic garden.
The Oldbury centre’s service users – who have a range of learning and physical disabilities – painted the glazes and put the finishing touches to the flowers ready for public display.
Flowers were unveiled at Tipton Library in July and have since been shown at Sandwell Arts Café, Oak House Museum, Sandwell Arts Festival, RSPB Sandwell Valley, Sandwell College and Bethel Convention Centre and the BBC studios at The Mailbox.
Richard Flatley, from Creative Arts, said: “We have all loved working on the Ceramic Garden project and appreciate how well it has been received.
“We will listen to any serious offer to buy the entire artwork. It is easily transportable and, with the infrastructure and packaging, represents a considerable investment. The money received would go straight back into this service for people with disabilities.
“We will also have a large number of surplus flowers and beasties that can be bought each day of the show.”
