Africa-Press – Seychelles. The work of young Seychellois art students is now on permanent display at the Victoria Bus Terminal, following an exciting initiative led by the British High Commission, which aims to connect young prospective Seychellois artists with a world-class mural artist from the United Kingdom.
Students from the Seychelles Institute of Art & Design (SIAD) and the International School Seychelles (ISS) were provided with the opportunity to collaborate with – and learn from – Scottish street artist, Shona Hardie, who is visiting Seychelles as part of a British High Commission-funded skills-exchange art project.
Hardie – who is an Edinburgh-based self-taught illustrator, pyrographer and street artist – first met with the students at SIAD in Anse Royale on March 21, to introduce the project.
Students were encouraged to brainstorm and design the concepts for their artwork, along the general themes of ‘Covid-19’, ‘Seychelles’ and ‘Celebrating SPTC’s 45th Anniversary’.
Their unique concepts were then expanded upon during an interactive and experiential workshop at the British High Commissioner’s residence on March 24, where – during the session – students were taught how to correctly use spray cans – a discipline frequently used to create compelling street art globally – in preparation for painting an unused wall at the Victoria Bus Terminal last Sunday.
The students – who spent much of Sunday painting their art work – produced stunning pieces depicting themes that included: Seychelles’ flora and fauna, peace and unity, and positive messaging encouraging members of the public to take the necessary preventative measures to effectively protect themselves against Covid-19.
One particularly striking piece of art work depicts the Public Health Commissioner, Dr Jude Gedeon, whose efforts are celebrated against a patriotic background of the national flag of Seychelles.
Hardie – who, alongside her assistant, Amy Rogers, has been in Seychelles for just under two weeks – has throughout her career combined her love for social and community interaction of making art in outdoor public spaces, with the disciplines of graffiti and street art.
During her visit to Seychelles, she has also been working tirelessly with the support of a local team on a spectacular mural on Bel Air Road, which aims to symbolise the strength and resilience of the Seychellois community, and celebrates the unsung local heroes – nominated by members of the general public through a call put out by the British High Commission on their social media in early March – that helped the country to overcome the pandemic.
This particular project – which has been delivered in partnership with the Ministry of Health – forms part of the British High Commission’s ‘Shared Values Programme’, which also includes exciting initiatives such as the Seychelles Schools’ Premier League for boys’ and girls’ football, work with elderly and children’s care homes across Seychelles, as well as ongoing work supporting and amplifying the voices of Seychellois veterans of the British Armed Forces.
Commenting on the project, the British deputy High Commissioner, Matthew Harper, said: “Covid may have restricted many activities across Seychelles, but it also provided many moments where people’s talents and values were given the opportunity to shine. This is an experience that was shared by both Seychelles and the UK, where we have seen resilience, courage and a real sense of community flourish in the face of adversity.
“Shona’s visit has provided a wonderful opportunity to empower talented young Seychellois artists, to demonstrate their ability, to show what Seychelles and the pandemic has meant to them and to give them the precious memory of working with a world-class mural artist.
“This project will hopefully produce a lasting legacy of the challenges presented by Covid, but more importantly, how we as a community have managed to overcome by supporting one another.
“It’s been a pleasure to work with such talented people on this project and we must thank Shona and Amy, SPTC, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Transport, the staff and students at SIAD and ISS, leaders and members of the Bel Air community, the BHC team and local stakeholders who contributed in one way or another to bring this wonderful project to life.”
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