Following on from the Autumn 2013 programme of community engagement culminating in the dazzling Sitare Festival event, Kinetika People returned London Designer Outlet in early 2014 to complete its commission, with the Spring Festival.
Throughout March, we delivered Batik Workshops to 300 local school children from Brent. Pupils took inspiration from the London Designer Outlet crystal logo which resembles gift boxes. Drawing images using the colours, smells, tastes and feel of things seen in the outlet stores as a stimulus, the children were asked; ‘What’s in the Box?’and to choose what they would like to give or receive from a friend or family member and why. The workshops ran from 18 – 24 March and took place on-site at the outlet in Unit 51.
Up to three hundred pictures were made and were transferred, by Kinetika Design Studio artists to a 50m length of silk. The silk was painted live at the Spring Festival which took place the 5th April. The Kinetika Bloco joined in the days events with live performances of dance and music and animating the freshly painted silk along with 50 dancers from local groups.
20 school children were picked to have their drawings selected for display in the outlet stores and restaurants as part of a treasure hunt trail. Kinetika’s spectacularly colourful batik silk will go on display at the outlet in the Summer where it will be admired by over 100,000 shoppers. It will also feature on an interpretation panel, including all the local schools that were involved in creating the work.
Read a feature in the Brent & Kilburn Times >