Rose Hill art project is bags of fun for residents (From thisisoxfordshire)

Rose Hill art project is bags of fun for residents

11:00am Friday 1st March 2013 in News By Emma Harrison, Reporter covering Rose Hill, Littlemore and Iffley. Contact me on 01865 425430

PRINTS, a quilt and other artwork completed as part of a community project could be incorporated into the design of an Oxford estate’s new community centre.

The colourful work created by different groups in Rose Hill – including the Arabic women’s group, Rose Hill Primary School, Rose Hill youth group and residents from Alice and Margaret House – was on display for a one-off exhibition on Wednesday.

Artists were asked to make drawings, paintings, and other work inspired by the estate, which is due to get a new £3m community centre that could open in early 2015.

Artwork by Alice and Margaret House resident Irene Fowler, 70, was included on a bag printed for the exhibition in the Norman Brown Hall at the existing community centre in The Oval.

Mrs Fowler said: “We need some sort of a change in Rose Hill and more activities for people to join in.

“I thought this was a very good thing to have, especially for the children – they did some wonderful work.”

Rose Hill mum-of-four Nassira Jmil was part of the group that created a quilt. She said: “I run the Arabic women’s group and the ladies have been doing sewing. The project brings all cultures together and all the community.

“It is quite good, it is something different.”

Carole Smith, deacon at Rose Hill Methodist Church, who helped with the quilt, said: “The project brought everyone together. It goes right through the whole community, which is fantastic.

“Everybody has really enjoyed it. They are surprised how creative they are.”

Artist Tiffany Black, from arts partnership brook & black, led workshops around the estate from June until January.

The project was supported by developer funding known as section 106 money from the Rose Hill housing development completed in 2011.

Ms Black said: “Everybody has been very generous with their time, their thoughts and their creative energies.”

Cheryl Snudden, Oxford City Council locality officer, said: “This is a really exciting project and one that we are supporting to help celebrate the local community.

“The information from the evening will be used to inform the design and decoration of the centre.”

The new community facility would overlook the recreation ground on the site of the Rose Hill and Donnington advice centre in Ashhurst Way.

It will have a larger hall, a training kitchen and sports changing facilities and when complete will replace the existing centre.