In partnership with Hounslow Council, St Mary’s Isleworth ran clay workshops over the summer half-term where young and old created air-drying clay sculptures. The theme of the workshops was hope – we prompted the participants with a few questions like, “what does hope mean to you?”, “when do you feel hopeful?”, and “how do you share hope with others?”
Each participant was given a block of clay, some tools and with guidance and practical advice from local artists they set about creating something that represented or gave them hope. Some of the older participants commented they had not created anything from clay since leaving school more than fifty years ago, but after a hesitant start they loved the feeling of moulding and shaping the clay. People loved being able to sit around tables with people they had never met before to share ideas and inspiration. Hearing about what hope meant to each person and how it impacted their lives was a definite highlight of the workshops.
The creations were varied ranging from rainbows to a hippo, candles, crosses, home or even a sea monster. Each participant was encouraged to write a small explanation of why this represented hope.
St Mary’s Isleworth is a local church on the border of Isleworth and Hounslow which serves a varied local community. During the lockdowns a temporary outdoor art installation on the theme of hope attracted widespread local interest. ‘Meditations on Hope’ sought to build on that interest and theme. Although a relatively small congregation, St Mary’s has been inspired by the Diocese of London’s vision for Creative Growth and have run a variety of new regular activities reaching the community including healing cafes, outdoor services and a toddler group exploring biblical themes. This creative approach has lead to sustained growth at the church particularly with families and young adults as well as those struggling with their mental health.
Here are a few of the explanations that the participants wrote explaining how the sculptures created represent hope:
“Hope lifts you up”
“No matter what your surroundings suggest or look like… there is always hope for growth”
“Jonah survived the fish, so too can you survive being chewed up by a monster”
“Listening leads to hope”
“A little light in dark moments can make the difference”
“Hope keeps our head above the water”
“The weight of expectation can make us lose our shapes, but we somehow find a way to support one another”
“The hard things come and go – hold onto hope”
“Love represents hope, because without love no one has hope”
