Painting For Hope
We’re hosting workshops with London based artist Limma Ali, inspired by this years theme of ‘Hope’ for A Season of Bangla Drama 2024 festival.
Join us across November to create your own ‘Alpona’ artwork using mixed-media at our centre in the Isle of Dogs.
Alpona is a traditional Bengali art form, originating from the Sanskrit word Alimpana meaning 'to plaster' or 'to coat with,' and has been practiced for over a thousand years. Initially used by Hindu women in religious rituals, alpona has evolved into a secular cultural expression in modern Bangladesh.
Today, you can find alpona adorning floors, roads, and entryways during various occasions like weddings, Pahela Baishakh, and International Mother Language Day.
Traditionally created with rice flour paste called pithuli, the motifs include sun, lotus, betel leaf, and creepers, symbolizing abundance and prosperity.
The art form is known for its intricate patterns, blending nature-inspired designs like flowers and birds with more abstract forms in modern times. The secularization of alpona started during the late 19th century, as part of the movement for independence from British rule, fostering unity among diverse communities. While originally drawn with rice paste, today, artists also use poster colors or even stickers to craft these beautiful patterns, bridging tradition and contemporary art forms.
About Limma Ali
Limma Ali is a London based Muslim artist of Bangladeshi heritage with over a decade in the fashion industry she has always been a creative soul.
She ventured into the art world in 2020 showcasing a strong emphasis on colour, light, and texture, creating dynamic and emotionally resonant pieces.Themes include cultural identity, social justice issues, and personal expression.
Her creative works include: various artworks for the Save Brick Lane Campaign with Nijjormanush; cover art for the award-winning podcast The Digital Sisterhood; consulted on the new heritage project for the regeneration of Whitechapel market; and Tower Hamlets Greener & Cleaner mural project with Trapped in Zone One.
This event is supported by Tower Hamlets Council.
Date: Tuesday 12 and 19 November 2024
Time: 18:00-20:00
Address: Island Point Community Centre, E14 3PW
Black History Month - Reclaiming Narratives Workshop
Black History Month workshops with London based artist Nadina Ali. Using different mediums, we will be creating posters that celebrate Black people from Tower Hamlets that everyone should know about.
This year’s theme for Black History Month is “Reclaiming Narratives,” and marks a significant shift towards recognising and correcting the narratives of Black history and culture.
By emphasising “Reclaiming Narratives,” we shine a brighter light on our stories, allegories, and history.
The aim of the activity is for participants to focus on people that wouldn't make it into history books, especially everyday people such as teachers, nurses, bus drivers, family members, friends or anyone that had a positive impact on them or their community .All the materials will beprovided.
About Nadina Ali
Nadina is a multi-disciplinary artist from Marseille in France, based in London. She’s passionate about social justice and representation and uses bold and colourful typography to address those topics in a way that is easier to engage with for a wider range of people. Nadina works across digital, print and paint and has produced artworks for posters, billboards, art installations and murals. She is passionate about making art and creativity accessible to as many people as possible, especially people who don’t traditionally have easy access to art. Through her work, Nadina also aims to amplify the voices of under-represented people.
This event is supported by Tower Hamlets Council as part of the Black History Month in 2024.
Date: Saturday 5, 12 and 19 October 2024
Time: 15:00-17:00
Address: Island Point Community Centre, E14 3PW
Kensington Palace Community Celebration
Date: 9 & 10 August 2024
Venue: Orangery Lawn, Kensington Palace
We were invited to the annual summer event at Kensington Palace, to celebrate the themes of community, unity and friends. Communities are at the heart of Historic Royal Palaces.
Testimonial from Kim Klug, Community Partnerships Manager.
“Trapped in Zone One delivered two days of collaborative mural making workshops at our annual Community Celebration at Kensington Palace. Throughout the day, they supported people of all ages and abilities to express themselves in paint. The result is three gorgeous artworks, created by people building on others’ ideas and artwork. We can’t wait to display them in our learning centre!”
Island Point Social - Creative Sunday
Presented by Trapped in Zone One, Creative Sunday is a free to access art workshops for families to take part and create alpona art, which is a traditional folk-art form from Bangladesh, with Tower Hamlets based artist Husna Parvin as part of South Asian Heritage Month.
What is Alpana? Alpona (Bengali: আলপনা) is a Bengali folk-art style, traditionally practiced by women, and consisting of coloured motifs, patterns, and symbols that are painted on floors and walls with paints made from rice flour, on religious occasions.
Date: Sunday 7, 21 and 28 July 2024
Time: 12:00-14:00
Address: Island Point Community Centre, E14 3PW
Price: FREE
Tuesday Social with Trapped in Zone One
A series of workshop in the New Year, every Tuesday at GreatArt in Shoreditch in a sociable setting. Using a mindfulness approach with a variety if artistic medium, the workshops explored what constitutes to a meaningful connection to mark The Great Winter Get Together and Great Mental Health Day in London during January 2024.
Date: 9, 16, 23 and 30 January 2023
Time: 17:00-19:00
Address: GreatArt, 41-49 Kingsland Road, London E2 8AG
Price: FREE
Winter Watercolour Workshop at GreatArt, 18-22 December 2023
Teviot Festival on 8 July 2023 @ Teviot Centre
Festival of Communities with Queen Mary University of London on 20 June 2023 @ Stepney Green Park. Nature inspired creative activity during Great Big Green Week 2023.
St Andrew’s Wharf Youth Centre Mural Project
Date: 19 and 26 January 2023
Time: 17:30-19:00
Venue: St Andrew’s Wharf Youth Centre, Mast House Terrance, London E14 3RW
Price: FREE
Winter Landscape Workshop at GreatArt with Husna Parvin
Date: 21, 22 and 23 December 2022
Time: 17:00-19:00
Venue: 41-49 Kingsland Road, London E2 8AG
Price: FREE
Trapped in Zone One | Creative Hub - Arts Workshop for Young People (Aged 11-18)
Date: Wednesday 16, 23 and 30 November 2022
Time: 17:00-19:00
Venue: St. Peter’s North Community Centre, 80 Pritchard’s Road, London E2 9AP
Price: FREE
Virtual Workshop - Live on Zoom and streamed on Facebook
We’re hosting FREE creative workshops on Zoom and streamed live on Facebook to engage with communities in Tower Hamlets and neighbouring boroughs during these uncertain times to promote positive mindfulness and diversity through an artistic approach.
The guest artists joining us will be Fandangoe Kid | Jenny Leonard | Luke Smile | Reform | SP:Zero
This project is funded by National Lottery Community Fund, with support from GreatArt, Posca UK, Artgecko Sketchbooks, Tower Hamlets Homes, Thrive LDN and Time to Change.
Do get in touch if you have any questions here.
Tuesday, 27 April 2021, 18:00 - 19:30 on ZOOM and FACEBOOK LIVE
Take part in our Time to Talk challenge to create your own graffiti inspired artwork to raise awareness of mental health. For a chance to win a GreatArt gift voucher submit your entry to us by 28 February 2021 either by email or tagging us on Instagram.
Learn more about Time to Change's Time to Talk Day here.
Good Luck & Stay Creative!
PAST WORKSHOPS
SP:Zero is an illustrator and street artist based in Bristol, UK. He has a varied portfolio, which includes everything from live drawing, magazine art and illustration through to large scale murals, children’s books and computer game art.
He’s regularly works alongside Mitsubishi Pencil Co, promoting Posca and Uniball, and some of his other past and ongoing clients include Lamborghini, Samsung, The BBC, Luctra, Devitt Insurance, Nass Festival and Doncaster Council.
He has painted and created art around the World, from New York to Australia and featured in several books and magazines, and is currently working on his own comic book called ‘After the Robot Apocalypse’.
Joining SP:Zero will be poet Woodzy performing When the West Went to Rehab and Man Down, and Time to Champion Antonio Ferreira.
Woodzy is an award winning Flo Poet, as seen on Sky Arts “Life and Rhymes”. A former Brit school student and winner of UK unsigned spoken word category 2019. From being on BBC 1Xtra and Channel AKA to moving more into the spoken word scene, reaching a million views on his 90’s baby poem in the process.
Woodzy is looking to captivate audiences with his wordplay and relatable poems. He currently has a poem in the Tower of London, which is accessible on the tour. His album “Happy Place” was released in 2019 and is available on all digital platforms. Woodzy featured all over the L.A scene in February 2020 trying to help bridge the gap between the U.K and the U.S scene. He is currently working towards a new project titled “Peace Out, Peace In” which is set for release in 2021. Until then he will continue working with The Floacist from Floetry as one of the Flo Poets on upcoming projects.
Antonio is a 22-year-old student at the University of Essex, studying Psychology and Cognitive Neuroscience. His peers describe him as a, highly ambitious and driven individual but, the challenges he once faced with his mental health made things difficult at key moments of his life. However, when looking back at those difficult times, his glad he was put through those challenges.
He now takes pride in himself, being a mental health ambassador for ‘Mind’ and digital health ambassador for ‘Partnership for Young London’. Also, a media volunteer for Time to Change. Along with being, a lived experienced consultant.
During the workshop Antonio will explore the idea of TV and media depicting the ideal male as, one who does not display any “soft” emotions. Along with, expressing the pressure of peers, family and culture that also set “standards” on how a male should be e.g. Men Don’t Cry.
‘All which force us males to isolate because when we don’t believe we are this admired image; we don’t feel we can talk to anyone else about it’ - Antonio Ferreira
Download the ‘SP:Zero’ sketch below, used as a reference or can be printed out and coloured in during the workshop or after.
In order for you to take part in our virtual workshops please register above to receive an invite to Zoom, and you’ll also need the following materials: A4/A3 sheet of paper, pencil, rubber, ruler, black and varied colour markers (Posca Pens).
Luke Smile is an artist who specialises in typography, with work spanning across sign painting, large-scale murals, and graphic design. His style consists of clean, precise lettering in bright colours and often embellished with spray textures that take inspiration from his background in graffiti.
Typography workshop with Luke Smile, creating an artwork with the message 'Hope' themed around raising awareness of isolation to engage with communities in Tower Hamlets and neighbouring boroughs during these uncertain times to promote mindfulness through an artistic approach.
We'll also be joined by Time to Champion Antonio Ferreira.
Antonio is a 22-year-old student at the University of Essex, studying Psychology and Cognitive Neuroscience. His peers describe him as a, highly ambitious and driven individual but, the challenges he once faced with his mental health made things difficult at key moments of his life. However, when looking back at those difficult times, his glad he was put through those challenges.
He now takes pride in himself, being a mental health ambassador for ‘Mind’ and digital health ambassador for ‘Partnership for Young London’. Also, a media volunteer for Time to Change. Along with being, a lived experienced consultant.
During the virtual workshop Antonio will take a talk about isolation, "Once we lose hope we lose everything else don’t we! Then we stop engaging in activities and we limit communications, what follows next is isolation and isolating leaves us with only our thoughts."
In order for you to take part in our virtual workshops please register above to receive an invite to Zoom, and you’ll also need the following materials: A4/A3 sheet of paper, pencil, rubber, ruler, black and varied colour markers (Posca Pens).
Reform as a Manchester based collective who specialise in spray can murals and graffiti lettering as part of their workshop activities.
Keep Calm and Be Creative
The objective of this workshop is to connect with new people and use the techniques learnt during the workshop to sketch up and colour in your own version of the phrase ‘Keep Calm and Be Creative’.
Download the ‘Keep Calm and Be Creative’ sketch below, used as a reference for ideas or can be printed out and coloured in during the workshop or after.
Introduction to 3 different ways of constructing letters and using shapes.
Step 1: Sketching Outline in Pencil
Step 2: Colouring in the Fill
Step 3: Outlining the Sketch
Step 4: Drop Shadow/3D
Step 5: Finishing Touches
In order for you to take part in our virtual workshops please register above to receive an invite to Zoom, and you’ll also need the following materials: A4/A3 sheet of paper, pencil, rubber, ruler, black and varied colour markers (Posca Pens).
Join Luke Smile in creating a design for a new community mural which will be painted in Tower Hamlets in January 2021 with the positive message to welcome in the New Tear.
In order for you to take part our virtual workshops please register above to receive a invite to Zoom, and you’ll also need the following materials: A4/A3 sheet of paper, pencil, rubber, ruler and varied colour markers (Posca Pens).
Jenny Leonard is a community driven commission artist always pursuing collaborative art projects that bring people together. She currently illustrates for virtual events and conferences and delivers creative virtual art workshops for schools, businesses and charities. Jenny specializes in murals and site specific public art for the community. She has exhibited over 60 sculptures on Wild in Art trails in the past and her work has raised over £180,000 for partnering charities. Next year so far two sculptures will be out on trails in Maidstone and Southend which will raise money for partnering hospices.
In this virtual workshop we will play with 4-5 simple drawing activities that are accessible for all ages and abilities. With the overall theme of working on character creation, making positive self-portraiture and character avatars, looking at inventive ways to make faces and cartoons.
In order for you to take part in our virtual workshops please register above to receive an invite to Zoom, and you’ll also need the following materials: A4/A3 sheet of paper, pencil, rubber, ruler and varied colour markers (Posca Pens).
The Fandangoe Kid is a London based print artist who makes large-scale narrative driven pieces for the public realm. She seeks to smash taboos around complex subject matters such as loss, trauma release, mental health and gender constructs.
The Fandangoe Kid has created work for a wide range of purposes, most recently installing artwork on 14 metre pillar for University of the Arts London’s 120th year anniversary and a large-scale permanent piece of public art at the Southbank Centre for the charity CALM.
For World Mental Health Day 2019, she installed an 80 metre floor narrative at City Hall for the Mayor of London’s charity Thrive, addressing the connection between movement and mental health. Additionally, she screened her film Into Your Light, directed with Tara Darby, at Tate Modern and on the Manhattan Bridge, looking at dancing as a tool for survival following great personal loss.
Much of the artist’s work is driven by navigating her own story, following the loss of many individuals in her family back in 2011, her practice being largely underpinned by the will to create a platform for open dialogue around the still taboo subject of grief.
She has worked with young people in Hackney and inner city London for over a decade, her remit being to encourage young people from all backgrounds to know themselves better through their creative practice.
A Toast to Making it Through/A Celebration of Resilience
You have made it to the end of 2020, one of the toughest, most extraordinary years. Let's celebrate our collective resilience!
This workshop is a chance to come together and share what has worked in 2020, a chance to celebrate our strength in the face of adversity, together. This year has been one of the toughest years that many of us have experienced collectively.
Join us in a workshop which allows us to reflect on that and share our stories for making it through. Through graphic art and narrative driven pieces, we will develop large scale work, which bring together our collective voice on coping with adversity, celebrating our resilience.
In order for you to take part in our virtual workshops please register above to receive an invite to Zoom, and you’ll also need the following materials:
Some large paper/cardboard/material to work on, the bigger the better
Some found type /printed type/lettering/newspapers/magazines, anything with narrative in that you can chop up and change and make your own
Some markers, the more colours the better
Some glue
Scissor/scalpel
A cutting board/failing that a chopping board
The Great Get Together in partnership with Facebook have awarded Trapped in Zone One to host a virtual community event through their Great Get Together Facebook Community Grants Scheme.
Join us in December as we host a community poetry meets community cook-along virtual event! Anj Cairns of We Wrote a Poem and Tomi Makanjuola, founder of The Vegan Nigerian will guide us through interactive workshops on how to create community theme poem and prepare a delicious Nigerian meal with a vegan twist. All skill-levels welcome.
And we’ll also gift everyone who attends our event with a customised tote bag featuring the poem that will get created and the recipe to jollof rice as a memento to our virtual get together.
Things are more fun when we do them with others. Writing poems is the same. At We Wrote a Poem they will take the things that people say and turn them into poems.
During our session, we’ll create a poem together about Tower Hamlets.
You don’t need any experience. Just bring yourself, a sentence about Tower Hamlets and something you've heard someone say recently. For example: 'Tower Hamlets, the best of London in one borough.’ ’Remember the picnic we had?’
We’ll use your words to create an amazing poem about Tower Hamlets!
Tomi Makanjuola is an award-winning blogger and chef. She runs The Vegan Nigerian, a platform dedicated to making Nigerian cuisine and the vegan lifestyle accessible to members of her community and beyond.
For this event Tomi will be cooking vegan Jollof Rice. A classic West African dish that is delicious and incredibly flavourful. Join Tomi in preparing this wonderful dish and learn more about Nigerian food culture. The class will be conducted as a fun, interactive online cook-along. Tomi will lead the class through the recipe, and there will be an opportunity to ask questions and share feedback!
The list of equipment and ingredients for the class are as follows:
Equipment:
Blender or Food Processor
Medium/Large Cooking Pot
Chopping Board and Knife
Ingredients:
2 cups Long-Grain Rice or Basmati Rice
1/2 Red Bell Pepper
1/2 Scotch Bonnet/Chilli Pepper
1/2 tin Chopped Tomatoes
2 Cloves Garlic
Fresh Ginger (about 1tbsp)
1 Small Onion (sliced)
1 tbsp Curry Powder
1 tsp Dried Thyme
1 Vegetable Stock Cube
Salt to taste
4 tbsp Sunflower Oil
2.5 cups Water
This event will be hosted on Zoom and streamed live on our Facebook page, which you can join via video call on your laptop, tablet or smartphone.
Your Digital Family Quiz - Live on Zoom and streamed on Facebook
Date: Sunday 22 November 2020
Time: 18:00-19:00
Online: Zoom Video Communications and Facebook Live
Price: FREE
We’re hosting a new fun and interactive online quiz event – which will test your family’s tech knowledge with the chance of winning a GreatArt £10 gift voucher to the winning family!
Does your family know its TikTok from its Twitter? Its Deliveroo from its Discord? And its Bieber from its Baby Shark?
‘Your Digital Family’ is a new virtual event about all the brilliant and different things families love doing online. And you can take part from your front room, dining table, or wherever your family can come together online.
Join us for an hour of questions, fun, and family interaction to test your family’s knowledge and find out just how much you know about the digital world. We have three rounds of simple but challenging questions, that will also give you some great new ideas for family conversations about tech – and things you can do together both online and offline.
Who can take part? Your Digital Family quiz events are suitable for parents and young people in secondary school.
What do you need to take part? Just paper, a pen and a connected device – like a smartphone, tablet or laptop. Plus, an hour to take part as a family – at a time that suits you!
This event will be hosted on Zoom and streamed live on our Facebook page, which you can join via video call on your laptop, tablet or smartphone.
Mental Health Awareness Week 2020 - #JustType Zoom Online Workshop
Date: Friday 22 May 2020
Time: 12:00-12:40
Online: Zoom Video Communications
Price: FREE
The theme for Mental Health Awareness Week 2020 (18-24 May) is ‘Kindness’ and we’ll be hosting a free virtual workshop on Zoom with Luke Smile, in which our artist will be guiding you virtually through 40 minutes creating your own version of the word ‘Kind’ using the art of typography.
In order for you to take part our the online art session please complete the form below requesting an invite to the Zoom Workshop, and you’ll also need the following materials: A4 sheet of paper, pencil, rubber, ruler and 5 varied colours of markers/pens.
This year the word Kindness was chosen is because of its singular ability to unlock our shared humanity. Kindness strengthens relationships, develops community and deepens solidarity. It is a cornerstone of our individual and collective mental health. Wisdom from every culture across history recognises that kindness is something that all human beings need to experience and practise to be fully alive.
Kindness is defined by doing something towards yourself and others, motivated by genuine desire to make a positive difference. From research conducted by the Mental Health Foundation ‘kindness and our mental health are deeply connected’ it shows that kindness is an antidote to isolation and creates a sense of belonging. It helps reduce stress, brings a fresh perspective and deepens friendships. Kindness to ourselves can prevent shame from corroding our sense of identity and help boost our self-esteem. Kindness can even improve feelings of confidence and optimism.
During Mental Health Awareness Week, we’re asking you to:
Reflect on an act of kindness. Share your stories and pictures of your kindness artwork on Instagram and Twitter during the week using the hashtag #TrappedinZoneOne, #KindnessMatters and #MentalHealthAwarenessWeek
This workshop is funded by Tesco Bags of Help community grant scheme, with support from GreatArt, Posca UK and Love East Magazine.
Support us with a donation to continue providing free creative provisions to communities.