When will we realise, we cannot eat money
Posted on April 26, 2023 by Steph
Angela Jones, wild swimmer of the Wye - visited and participated in the making of Our Salmon, linking her passion for protecting our waters by collecting evidence of pollution to the Salmon's campaign.
“Only when the last tree has died and the last river has been poisoned and the last fish has been caught WILL WE REALISE, WE CANNOT EAT MONEY"
The Big Splash Summer Festival 2022, funded the commission to make this 3 ½ foot mosaic Salmon sculpture, that brings awareness to the pollution in our waters in and around Wales. While raising thoughtful and serious consideration to the words - when will 'we', " ..realise we cannot eat money".
Salmon or the ‘old squirty fish from the Newport Leisure Centre' has been a 10-month community engagement project, aimed to connect with a diversity of Newport's community to engage with matters of urgency, connected to the pollution in our rivers and oceans, through arts activity.
Whether from human carelessness, factory farming methods or water companies polluting into rivers, the problem is widespread and severe.
The projects aim was to connect with communities as a design and making, get involved activity, run through the Riverfront Arts Centre. Encouraging conversation on the issues of pollution and exploring solutions that brings awareness to the country wide campaign. While absorbed in the process of making and learning new skills, an enjoyable creative experience, became an emotive combination.
Mosaic workshops, completed in May 2023, saw over 130 participants helping to design and make the Salmon find his visual story and message, in stained glass, mosaic and printed ceramic. Was support by participants including families, young people, Youth Council, art students, and professionals, who believe that art can create a powerful message to audiences.
Thank you all for your commitment, passion, desire to learn and support. You are amazing.
BUT THIS IS NOT THE END!
TALK Angela Jones, wild swimmer of the Wye will be hosting an evening talk at The Riverfront. Sharing her experiencs of wild swimming in the Rivers of Wales and her work to collect evidence of the pollution levels in the River Wye and Usk.
Date soon to be announced.
OUTREACH VISITS This is not the end of Our Salmon’s adventure. He is looking to visit key locations to outreach his message into communities with destinations of specific relevance to his cause. If you are an organiser of one of the following events and could find a place for Our Salmon, please get in contact. I am looking to link with community events such as - river festivals, literacy festivals, beach location festivals, community fates etc
He has no funds at present to support this outreach but if the interest is there, ‘we’ can investigate gaining funds.
ART AND LITERACY PROJECT I will be working with a local school to create an Art and Literacy Project, so his message can become an environmentally aware educational illustrated book, that can outreach his message and adventures in river and sea. I am committed and eager to assist the school in formulating this project, with the potential of working alongside some inspiring creatives.
.jpeg)
