‘It won’t be pretty’
an exhibition by the space2face girls’ group
2 - 4 July 2015
For three days at the beginning of July, the Lodberrie Traders will be home to an unusual exhibition of artwork entitled ‘It won’t be pretty’, by a small group of girls from the Anderson High School.
For the last two years, between the ages of 13-15, the girls have been working with space2face, a restorative arts project, run jointly by the Community Mediation Team in Shetland and Shetland Arts.
The girls’ group meets weekly for an hour with the support of the school (half an hour during school time and half an hour in the girls’ own time) and works with two artists. The girls developed the structure for the group as well as their own guidelines as to how they would like everyone to behave (including staff) in each session. The exhibition is a selection of some of their work based around the themes they have been exploring together.
‘It’s been a privilege to have worked with the girls and to see them change and mature into young women. Some of their achievements within the group have been remarkable and we are proud to be showing their work in this exhibition and sharing it with others’, said Ana Arnett, space2face project artist.
‘I like coming to the girls’ group ‘cos I get to make a mess and I’ve learned a lot of things, even though I found it difficult speaking at first. It’s been helpful ‘cos we’ve talked about the difficult things that the school doesn’t talk about,’ said a member of the group.
Clair Aldington, of Shetland Arts, commented, ‘Shetland Arts is proud to be a founding partner, alongside the Community Mediation Team, of space2face which is a unique project in Scotland. The girls’ work is a testament to their creativity and willingness to tackle difficult issues in their lives and within society.’
The space2face project uses the arts alongside restorative approaches to work with people of all ages who are involved in conflict or harm in their lives. It provides an opportunity for participants to look at what has happened, how it has affected them and others, and what they need to be able to move on with their lives in a safer way.
The title of the exhibition, ‘It won’t be pretty’, was chosen by the girls. It will be open to the public from 1.30-5.30pm Thursday 2 – Saturday 4 July 2015 at the Lodberrie Traders in Lerwick. All artwork is for sale and proceeds, at the girls’ request, will go towards continuing the girls’ group and the space2face project.
