Mike Badger led a series of 6 x workshops at Life Rooms Bootle in 2022, working with students from the neighbouring Hugh Baird College.
Mike taught the participants how to make animals or insects out of junk and the cast offs of our consumer society, by reinterpreting throw away items and making fun ornamental sculptures.
Participants were invited to bring along a variety of household items to work with alongside a range of materials supplied by Mike, such as clothes pegs, bottle tops, used pens, cotton reels, wire, empty shampoo and conditioner bottles, and any user-friendly bits and bobs from the bottom of drawers!
Mike helped them to come up with ideas and demonstrated methods and techniques for assembly and how to fix things together.
“I feel more creative than I did an hour ago. I became immersed in creating my sculpture.”
– Life Rooms Bootle participant
“I really enjoyed it today, I love making things, it makes me happy, I enjoy creating things that I never really realised before. At home I’m very isolated so it’s been very good for me. It’s made me more confident going home with something I’ve made so I’m really happy.”
– Life Rooms Bootle participant
“It’s so tangible. Sometimes we just need to allow ourselves time to grow, sometimes we just need to learn and have a go. It’s little building blocks. Creativity improves people’s social skills, it’s better than ticking a box. And for mental health this covers all these kinds of things.”
– Life Rooms Bootle participant
“I enjoy working at the Life Rooms, it’s a great place, really well organised with great facilities. All went to plan and we produced a solid body of work, problem solving, working with the prompt sheets to inspire the designs.
Everyone took something home with them they were pleased with.”
– Mike Badger