This newsletter brings you updates, achievements, materials of the quarter and photos of the inspiring, creative projects that have been made using REmida materials this year. You might even come across a call-out for volunteer help and invitations to REmida events.

• Introduction
• Education
• Volunteers
• Materials
• Website – Call for Submissions

Introduction

I’m Dougie and I look after the administration side of REmida at info@remidawa.com. I would also like to introduce our other staff members: Colin Dear, our General Manager (admin@remidawa.com), Nadia Rasheed, our Education Coordinator (education@remidawa.com), Josie McGushin, our Materials Coordinator (materials@remidawa.com) and Elissa Strumpher, our Website Admin.

This year we have fine-tuned our Membership fees, making memberships even more attractive, especially for Day Care Centres and Primary Schools. For more information see Memberships on our webpage.

We are very pleased to announce that the Reggio Emilia Perth Network meetings are now going to be held at our centre. The first is on the 10^th May 2012 at 6.pm. Read more about Reggio Emilia principles at “An Introduction to Reggio Emilia” on our website’s new Creative Learning Environments page.

Education

It has been a huge term in education at REmida. The WA and Australian curriculum has been incorporated into our current Workshop List, and all workshops in the future will be written with this in mind.

REmida’s facilitator team has reached 18 passionate community artists that have undergone training in REmida philosophies and principles and adapted this into a professional presentation of REmida workshops.

We have also expanded our Professional Development workshop into an even more supportive and inspiring series of explorations towards introducing REmida materials and recycled materials into your learning environments.

A new page has opened up on our ever-expanding website called “Ideas for Creative Learning Environments“. This new page aims to support all learning professionals by providing insight into REmida’s philosophies, and includes such things as “Why use industrial off cuts?” and “Learning Environment Ideas”, plus much more.

REmida is now guest speaking at Waste Wise Schools Program information days, an initiative of the Department of Environment and Conservation.

REmida has run Creative Reuse workshops at 7 festivals this term! Thanks to the Perth International Arts Festival, Propel Youth Arts, the City of South Perth, the City of Stirling, the City of Mandurah, Fairbridge Festival, and the Shire of Kojonup. You can find many more photos in our online gallery.

All events can be found on our online calender, so pop these free events in your diaries and we hope to see you there.

Crab Fest, City of Mandurah

The Trunk Art Wrap Festival, Town of Bassendean

Volunteers

At REmida we are lucky to have the support of dedicated, committed volunteers without whom we wouldn’t be able to operate, and who make the centre a much more fun & colourful place to be!

A big happy birthday to our long term volunteer Max, who recently reached the 60 year milestone – and isn’t slowing down anytime soon!

Sending out best wishes to another one of our long term volunteers Rob, who has recently been away due to an injury and we’re hoping he recovers swiftly.

Welcomed to the team are Cameron and Katrina! We appreciate you coming down regularly to be a part of the team!

Over the last year our Volunteers contributed over 1500 hours and they helped sort through over 250 cubic metres of recovered materials! A big thank you.

Right now we need volunteers to help us to creatively display the materials and help out on the front desk. If you’re interested please call 9227 5576 or email Dougie at info@remidawa.com.

Materials

We are in the process of reviewing all of our materials and are excited about bringing in new types of materials this year.

The last 3 months have seen a few changes in the materials section of the REmida world. Our long-term volunteer driver Rob has retired from the collection due to a previous shoulder injury becoming aggravated – but can still be seen for guest appearances accompanying the new driver on the run! We are in the process of finding a committed volunteer to take his place as our regular driver and head treasure hunter. The role would necessitate a class A license and the ability to contribute 5 hours each Thursday from 10am to 3pm. If you know of anyone interested in the role please encourage them to contact the Materials Coordinator Josie McGushin, on 9227 5576 or at materials@remidawa.com.

New Suppliers:

REmida is happy to have the continued support and cooperation of our business partnerships, some of whom have been directing their discards to REmida for over 5 years! We also have had some new businesses join the collection service over the last quarter, and we commend them on seeing the value of their waste and having made the decision to donate it for the use of the community rather than have it take up extra space at landfill! REmida welcome the following businesses:

• Oxford Gallery & Framing (Leederville)
• Discus Digital Print (Mt Hawthorne)
• Stage & Studio Productions (West Perth)
• Exclusive Trophies (East Perth)
• Breathless Fashion (Claremont / Belmont)
• The Paper Co of Australia (Malaga)

Material of the month: The rubber squares donated by All Rubber in Welshpool.

They are the off-cuts created when producing conveyor belts for factory use. Due to a reinforced line of thread they are unable to be recycled and instead come to us – much better than the bin!

The hand sized pieces have been used to create stamps in festival workshops, the smaller ones have become weights in the middle of the poi ball in another of our workshop, one of our volunteers even uses them to weight the fabric she cuts whilst making clothing from recycled fabrics! They have great bounce to them, squishy texture, are great to stack – what can you make from them? They are also in abundance from our supplier – go wild creative bunnies!

Materials we can access large quantities of:

• Rubber squares
• Mosquito net off-cuts
• School uniform off-cuts
• Curtain samples

Just ring our materials co-ordinator on 9227 5576 to arrange a special quantity pick-up of any of these materials if you want to do a MEGA project.

New materials in stock:

• Small silk and luxury fabric off-cuts
• Colourful plastic colanders (one-off supply)
• Timber pieces

Business Partnerships:

A big thanks to all our donating businesses and congratulations for supporting sustainable solutions to waste management:

Website

Have you used REmida materials to do something really cool? We want to help you share it with the rest of the REmida community!

REmida is looking for user creations to add to our new online gallery. All you need to do is send us an email with:

• A short description of your project
• Up to half a dozen images (make sure you have all the appropriate permissions before you send them to us)

It’s as simple as that!

Using REmida materials and non toxic plant-based paints, participants will explore textures and contrasts to create designs similar to the illustrations in Out of the Egg. Once the participants have created their printed background on card, they can add in the little red chick, using pre-made stamps made of REmida materials.

Remida materials can provide a diverse and unique variety of textures, children will love the play of materials through printing.

Castaways Sculpture Awards is an annual arts event which has added to Rockingham’s unique cultural identity since 2008, successfully melding the theme of recycling and environmental awareness with the creative re-use of materials and innovative arts practice.

The City of Rockingham won the Heritage & Culture Award at the 2011 National Australian Clean Beach Awards, recognising the significant role Castaways played in achieving this prestigious Award. Through the Awards the City successfully raises awareness within the broader community of the benefits of recycling in an innovative format, and reinforces responsibility to the global environment.

Entries close Friday 2nd of March.

You can download a Castaways Entry Form here.

Art by Susan Stockwell, via This Is Colossal

If you’re wondering what to do with a bunch of old motherboards and miscellaneous electronic bits, here’s some inspiration…

Artist Susan Stockwell has made this world map from old electronics. There is more recycled art at her website.

Over the last few weeks it’s been gradually growing and developing. With today’s stormy weather, we’ve been admiring it in motion:

It’s looking really good in our green spring garden:

Some wonderful electronic goodies have recently arrived at REmida -  funny-shaped motherboards in various colours, little LCD screens, all sorts of interesting bits and bobs.

These are sure to move fast, so get in quick if you want them!

Patrick struggles to get the foam into the Big Room

We use it for resting…

Matt does a spot of quality control testing

Location: Maritime Museum, Victoria Quay, Fremantle
For more info: Maritime Museum
Date: 10th to 14th October (second week of school holidays)
Time: 10:00-4:00
Bookings: At the Maritime Museum on the day, from 9:30am – no advance or phone bookings available. For group bookings (10 or more) call 9431 8455.

Making small baskets using REmida materials – come and learn the basics of weaving…

Location: REmida, 1 Prospect Pl, West Perth
Date: 27th August
Time: 1:00-3:00 pm
Cost:
- Members: $15 individual/$20 1 parent and 1 child
- Non-members: $20 individual/$28 1 parent and 1 child

Age 8 and up. Limited to 12 participants, so book early!

Learn to crochet. How to start, all the basic stitches, working in rounds or in rows. This time we’re using rug wool…

Location: REmida, 1 Prospect Pl, West Perth
Description: 9 July
Time: 1:00-4:00
Cost: $15 nonmembers, $12 members
To Bring: 7mm crochet hook