'Trash as Treasure' is a creative workshop that is given in schools around Montreal.

The workshop consists in two parts.  

 

Part 1- Animated informative session;

 

This informative session will be about an hour and a half long. We will learn about how waste management in Montreal works. We will get a chance to see different examples of how waste can be reused - through composting, recycling, donating and creating Art. This part will be animated by a character called Mr. Plusbelle Bin, who arrives to Montreal from a city that generates absolutely no waste. He will teach us through his own experiences in discovering this new concept of waste and waste management systems. This class will also be accompanied by a 'powerpoint' presentation. At the end of this session all participants will be given garbage bags, and will be asked to fill these bags with recycled waste. The idea is to look at this waste as a potential material for creation, that will take place at the second part.

 

Part 2 – Creating a Trashformation installation using Trash as our Treasure;

This part might require more than a single session, therefore there is no specific designated time for it. Depending on the schools availability and the participants ages. This part will stat by uncovering the contents of our treasure garbage bags, we will sort the different materials and learn about their unique properties ( flexibility, weight, color, texture, etc...). All together we will decide what is our installation going to be, what is the experience that we want the viewer to go through? will it be permanent or unique? Will it combine functional purposes as well ? For example; we can create a reading area with benches made from cardboard or just a big collage made from our communal waste.We will get a chance to get to know each other better through what we decided to keep as a “treasure waste”. We will think twice before we throw something away. The installation will have no specific guidelines except the name “Trashformation”, the participant are very welcome to request various practical assistance for example if they need a professional (carpenter, glassblower etc.. )or a professional tools. This creative process will allow us to get closer to the idea of waste in a very positive context. I believe that through literally getting closer to our waste we will be more attentive and sensitive to the ecological problem of waste.