Plastic Mountain is a participatory public artwork for the heart of Norwood. A wooden box will appear on Norwood Road outside an empty shop on a wide pavement. A group of local residents will mix earth and compact it into the large box. Passers-by will be invited to collect litter from the area and add it to the construction. A couple of weeks later, the box will be dismantled to reveal a beautiful sculpture made of layers of earth with little hints of colour from the embedded litter. But over the next two months, the earth will erode, leaving behind a ghostly metal structure covered in litter. Another artwork will appear in the windows of the empty shop unit: a mural designed and painted by local young people highlighting the plastic issue. We have an ambitious strategy for public engagement - Involving all local schools within 25 mins walk in science+art projects - Reaching the local community through free workshops, multilingual materials, street engagement

What we'll deliver:

• A 2.5m high sculpture made of earth with embedded litter, that will slowly erode to leave behind the litter
• A mural designed and painted by young people in the empty shop windows besides Knowles of Norwood
• A project with 16-18year olds to design and build the temporary structure used to make the sculpture (WeRise)
• A project with Rathbone youth group (details tbc, possibly a behaviour change project with local chicken shops)
• A series of educational workshops in 10 local primary schools
• Workshops with existing community groups to empower people with skills, knowledge and motivation

Why it's a great idea:

The project has two aims: + Create a sense of PLACE & COMMUNITY for West Norwood as we emerge from the pandemic + Present a VISUAL METAPHOR for the problem of plastic waste in our society so we can be inspired to imagine a new way of living more in harmony with our environment About 250,000 people will witness the artwork on the high street. We want it to touch them emotionally about the plastic issue. The changing sculpture’s unpredictable nature can elicit a strong relationship (How does it look today?) triggering social media sharing, potentially going viral. But the emotional response needs to be converted into positive behavioural & structural changes, a process we will start then hand over to our local partners. We will be running workshops and projects with local schools and youth and community groups to empower our community with knowledge, skills and the motivation to do something about the plastic issue. It will also remove the empty shop eyesore.

Steps to get it done:

• Design of the sculpture (August)
• Structural Engineering and risk assessments (August)
• First phase of community and school workshops and recruiting volunteers (August)
• Design and construction of the box (youth project - 31st Aug - 3rd Sept)
• Design and creation of the shop windows mural (youth project 13th - 17th September)
• Preparation for the creation of the sculpture (fabrication of metal cage, sourcing local earth to use, PR activities)
• Collaborative Build of the sculpture onsite accompanied by public engagement on the street around (17th -26th Sept)
• Unveiling ceremony - Sunday 3rd October (a West Norwood Feast Sunday)
• During October and November, the earth will slowly erode leaving behind a ghostly metal structure covered in litter
• Second phase of community and school workshops and projects (Sept - Nov)
• Sunday 5th December (a West Norwood Feast Sunday): Ceremonial removal of the plastic and conclusion of the project
• Mural and metal frame moved to permanent local homes to serve as an ongoing reminder of the event and what it meant

We have applied for £14,800 funding from The Arts Council England to fund: - The creation of the sculpture - The workshops in 10 primary schools - Free drop-in workshops at Feast - Project management and marcoms activities The successful Spacehive campaign will enable us to achieve more, including: - A 4 day project with 16-18 year olds to design and build the wooden box. Hosted at local architecture practice Squires and Partners, led by WeRise, this project will give the students essential work experience that this generation have missed out on due to the Pandemic as well as teaching them computer-aided design and constructions skills. - The creation of the Mural in the shop windows These two project will go ahead and produce tangible benefits to the local community.