'Rubbish Sculpture Workshops' were central to providing a methodology for research and engagement, creating a space for people to have open conversations about what Cornish identity means to them - share their views and consider different perspectives and experiences.

Working with found and reclaimed materials, I invited people to make 'rubbish sculptures' alongside me, with permission to be creative without direct instructions, reinforcing that all approaches to creativity and all voices, views and experiences are important. Whilst making I held space for participants to share their experiences, giving time to carefully unpick more uncomfortable topics.

Photo credits: L-R: Anna Gillet, Danny Wood, Sovay Berriman & Izzy Eastick

In 2023, a series of these workshops invited participants to make and paint 'rubbish rock sculptures' in colours chosen and mixed by them that they felt connected to their identity and/or relationship with the landscape of Cornwall. These colours were then given names and later these words were translated into Kernewek/Cornish. If a fitting word did not already exist, we created one using dictionaries loaned by Kowethas an yeth Kernewek.

The colours and their words, Liwyow a Gernow (Colours of Cornwall), will be included in the MESKLA | Brewyon Drudh archive at Kresen Kernow and have been shared with the Cornish Language Office to contribute to the gelyver kernewek (Cornish Dictionary). 

The 'rubbish sculptures' created by participants were also incorporated in sculptural installations at Krowji, Tate St Ives, Kresen Kernow and Flamm.