Merton Residents Invited To Record Their Pandemic Experiences
Loving Earth: A Legacy of Lockdown asks people to create textile panels
Panel Title: ‘Back to the Garden’
Created by: Shirley Ford, Merton resident
Sustainable Merton, Merton’s local environmental charity, has come together with the Loving Earth Project to invite Merton residents to create a permanent and creative record of their experiences and thoughts during the Coronavirus pandemic.
The ‘Loving Earth: A Legacy of Lockdown’ project is aimed at supporting people with their wellbeing during these challenging times.
The project asks people of all abilities to create a textile panel that captures their feelings towards the environment, with a vision for a better, more sustainable future. Each panel will be accompanied by the personal story behind it and there will be a local exhibition of the panels in late Spring 2021.
Following a pilot project last autumn, a number of residents have said how beneficial this project has been for their personal wellbeing.
One participant said, “I was very glad to be part of the Loving Earth Project. I am a great believer in the power of images and anyone can take part regardless of textile, stitching or any form of art expertise. It provides individuals, who may feel powerless to make a difference on their own, with a 'voice' and these voices when gathered together create a powerful, collective chorus to raise concern for our planet.”
Diana Sterck, CEO of Sustainable Merton commented, “We wanted to create a new project for the Merton community that supports people of all ages, but particularly those that are by themselves, or can’t get out as much as they would normally, and to provide them with an opportunity to share their reflections.”
Linda Murgatroyd, Founder of the Loving Earth Project added, “The Covid-19 lockdowns have caused us to change many habits and to reflect on what really matters in life. I hope this project will help people engage creatively with the environmental crisis as well as the immediate challenges of the pandemic. Instead of carrying on with “business as usual” and worrying about it, we can all help care for the future of what we love - here in Merton and elsewhere. It’s a fun project to work on and exciting to see the different ideas people are bringing to the project.”
If you are interested in participating or running your own group email info@sustainablemerton.org or find out more on this link.
January 18, 2021