See you spoon!
An innovative project inspiring kids to get creative during lockdown has been awarded funding as part of the national Keep Well campaign.
Benchspace Cork’s Spoonville project provides a virtual workshop for children and teenagers to inspire them to use their imagination while the country remains in lockdown, stimulating creativity and an interest in design.
The online workshops are led by Amanda Wood of Sew Happy Creative.
Amanda and the Benchspace team have created special Spoonville Craft Kits that contain everything a child needs to create their very own Spoony character.
As part of the project, the kits are being delivered to Direct Provision and emergency accommodation centres and charities that work with children in Cork city.
Benchspace Cork is one of nine community and craft ventures across the county that have being chosen as part of a Sláintecare-funded collaboration between the Design & Crafts Council Ireland and Healthy Ireland.
Benchspace Director David Scannell said the Spoonville project is “a great way to reach out to children and inspire creativity” in Cork and across the country.
He said: “We want to inspire creativity in children. Kids and teens are the next generation of makers and we are as interested in connecting with them as we are with adult makers.”
He added: “We’re conscious that it’s difficult at the moment for parents to keep children entertained in lockdown so we really wanted to create something special that would help keep their minds active and engaged.”
Benchspace is a creative hub in Cork city providing affordable access to workbenches and professional standard machinery to hobbyists, learners, makers and designers.
Design & Crafts Council CEO Rosemary Steen said: “This project by Benchspace Cork is a fantastic initiative that will inspire future generations of makers at a time when the idea of switching off and getting creative has never been so important.”
She added: “The Spoonville classes will help stimulate creativity and give children, teenagers and their parents something positive to focus their minds on.”