Release your creativity and turn waste to art

GET creative with graffiti and street art, puppets, sculptures and painting.

Waste to Art: Gearing up for the Waste to Art community workshops are Real Artworks Project Manager Sunita Bala (left) with artists Joanna Kambourian, Justin 'Julla' Livingston and Matt Daymond.

HAVE you ever wanted to try your hand at graffiti and street art, puppetry, sculptures, or painting?

A series of free community workshops - Waste to Art - is an opportunity through Real Artworks and Lismore City Council where participants can create exciting artworks from reused and recycled materials.

Lismore City Council Business Development Coordinator Danielle Hanigan said people who join Real Artworks can create something beautiful instead of sending waste to landfill.

"You don't have to have any previous experience to get involved and we encourage people who have never explored their artistic side to come and enjoy art making,” Ms Hanigan said.

The free workshops throughout September, October and November will culminate in a Community Open Day to showcase the artworks.

This will also include a recycled market, tours of the Lismore Recycling & Recovery Centre and other activities on Sunday, December 3 from 9am until midday.

Workshops include:

Welcome to the (Graffiti) Jungle

Join one of the Far North Coast's finest street artist, Justin 'Julla' Livingston, to transform your stories into graffiti and street art.

Help give the Lismore Recycling & Recovery Centre shipping container studios a new lease of life and create your own canvas to take home.

Julla is a mural and street artist working extensively with the local community, businesses and public art projects to produce and execute public art, murals and street art in both urban/regional locations, community projects and private residences.

As an arts facilitator, he teaches workshops to a broad sector of the community including supporting people with disabilities to facilitate their access to creativity and art making.

Thursday and Saturday, September 28 and 30, 9am-12pm

Junk Pile Puppetry

Join award-winning Krinkl Theatre to make amazing puppets out of nothing but rubbish.

"Puppets begin with a breath,” Krinkl Theatre's artistic director Lara Cruikshank said.

"Puppets are made and come alive as they breathe, move and dance with you.”

Lara will take you on an animated journey to make unique puppets from a variety of found objects.

There is also a special opportunity for aspiring puppet makers as Lara is looking for a small crew to be part of a public performance at the Artstate Conference in November.

Lara Cruikshank is one half of the multi award-winning Krinkl Theatre. Krinkl Theatre crinkle wrap and stickytape discarded objects to create delightful visual images and puppets. They have an established reputation in the region and keep their audience on a knife's edge between the fantasy of the animated and the reality of rubbish.

Wednesday and Thursday, October 4-5, 9am-12pm

The Overtopping - Community Sculpture from Waste

Have you got a flood item that can be welded to create a larger community sculpture? Contribute your piece for renowned sculptor Keith Cameron, who will use discarded waste to create a commemorative sculpture that celebrates community resilience and the journey through flood recovery.

Keith has successfully exhibited his work throughout Australia and has an outdoor sculpture park which includes a constructed 500-seat amphitheatre at Tabulam where he displays his large sculptural pieces. He will be joined by artists Zeb Schulz and Matthew Daymond.

Thursday, Friday and Saturday, October 19-21, 9am-3pm

Recreate, Revive and Recover - New life for old things

Give something new life by painting second-hand ephemera, bits of wood, old spray cans and anything that has been flood damaged (but isn't stinky or poses a health risk).

There will be a treasure trove of discarded and otherwise un-usable objects available (or bring your own) for artists and participants to paint their own design or imagery based on the project theme. The theme seeks to reflect and respond to the positivity and resilience that our community has continued to embody throughout the flood and recovery effort.

The workshop will be led by Lismore-based graphic designer, printmaker and visual artist Joanna Kambourian. She is known for her individual and shared practice under the creative pseudonym Ms Browns Lounge.

Thursday and Friday, November 23-24, 9am-12pm

For workshop bookings phone Sunita at Real Artworks on 0428 076 703 or email [e-mail].

For more information, visit www.realartworks.org.