CULTURAL SERVICES PROJECT
Mad Hatter – Recycled Cardboard Madness
Throughout June and August Wollongong City Council’s Cultural Services team and Community Cultural and Economic division hosted Mad Hatter workshops with selected groups within the Wollongong community. In session 1 workshop facilitators, artist Mai Nguyen-Long and council officer Kiosha Gardner, guided participants through using discarded A4 photocopy paper boxes as a template for the hat structure. In session 2, paint, found / recycled / donated fabrics, ribbons, feathers and other decorating materials were applied to realise the individual creative flavours of their makers. It is hoped that participants will don these bold and theatrical hats in the 14 Nov 2015 Viva La Gong Parade. The workshops are a platform for sharing, learning, having fun together, and connecting with the community.
Additional note:
“Participants: Five Islands Secondary College, Coniston Men’s Shed, Essential Employment and Training, and Young Adult Book Club Wollongong. The workshop was originally inspired by Steam Punk hats, highlighting a visual connection with the stunning industrial landscapes unique to Wollongong. The idea of Mad Hatter was subsequently embraced, thereby using similar dramatic hat structures but presenting an open invitation to participants to express their own angle on the theme. The spec provided by Council was that the hats were to be constructed from recycled cardboard. Experimenting with different forms in consultation with project manager Kiosha Gardner, I identified the abundance of discarded A4 photocopy paper boxes as a perfect all-in-one template to achieve the desired outcome.” Mai