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Islington Tribune - by JAMIE WELHAM
Published: 31 August 2007

Islington Council leader James Kempton, left, the community artists

Life classes as artists draw on their past

A GROUP of art novices has been let loose on a blank canvas to experience the power of painting.
The 22 artists, who attend Sotheby Mews Day Centre in Highbury, painted a giant mural depicting their experiences of life.
The diverse origins of the artists, who hail originally from Mauritius, Turkey, Greece and the Caribbean, are reflected in the mural.
The project was the brainchild of art psychotherapist Ros Lewis-Williams, who lives in Highgate. She believes art can unite communities and break down barriers.
She said: “I wanted to work with older communities from different cultures and help them to integrate by working on one canvas side by side.
“The group had very limited art experience, and most artists prefer to work on their own, so it was great to see them grow in confidence and rise to the challenge.”
The artists, some of whom suffer from arthritis and Alzheimer’s disease, were introduced to various materials and techniques during six weekly two-hour classes.
The mural will be exhibited, along with nine others painted by community groups across London, at the City Hall and Guildhall Art Gallery in December.

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