BARRhead, in collaboration with Alex wilde, 2017
DISTASTE
A collaboration with Alex Wilde, commissioned by East Renfrewshire Council to engage local people and children in the site history of the ‘Water Works’ project, Barrhead.
What have sewage and food growing got in common? In response to the reinvention of this former sewage works site into a social, growing and wildlife hub for the local area; we worked with local people to investigate the sites history through the different ‘cycles’ which continue to take place here, such as the re-cycling of water, nutrients and land.
The program began with a led foraging walk and planting out of native species on the site which have different regenerative properties for other plants, soils and people. A local primary school was then engaged in a series of workshops through which they each created their own ceramic crockery items inspired by the history of the local shanks
Photo : Alex Wilde
sanitary-ware industry and the wild plants which have taken up residence on the site. These pieces were fired on site by the children in paper kilns.
The ideas and experiments generated through the project culminated in the design and fabrication of a bespoke tea set for Water works, which was launched through a big Tea Ceremony event, bringing people together to share the research and and a taste from the site.
