Art students from Richmond upon Thames College join Sir Steve Redgrave’s recent call for Thames Water to stop plans to pump treated sewage into the River Thames. Their winning design, a permanent piece of art, was unveiled on Thursday 27 March outside The Anglers Pub in Teddington by the local MP, Munira Wilson (Twickenham).
‘Withering Time’ has been installed outside, close to the Teddington Lock Bridge. It calls for an end to Thames Water’s proposed Teddington Direct River Abstraction (TDRA) scheme.
Richmond upon Thames College are partnering with Save Our Lands and River, who have received support from over 100 local businesses and organisations, including The Anglers Pub.
The art student’s powerful sculpture for change serves as a visual statement that encourages people to think about the changes that potentially lie ahead for the ecosystem, not least in the face of the proposed TDRA.
It highlights the importance of community-driven action in preserving local environments.
The TDRA scheme poses serious risks to the river ecosystem, threatening the health of the water and the wellbeing of those who rely on the Thames for recreation, relaxation and mental health support.
The winning sculpture was a collaborative piece of work between college students Farhat Barmak, Kayla Sylvan-Mcdonald and Simran Thandi.
Quotes about the winning sculpture
“At Richmond upon Thames College we are proud of our students and the creative energy they bring. We were delighted to work with SOLAR and to see the range of ideas that the students created to address the critical issue of water quality. The winning entry will now be there for many years to come, showing everyone who passes the passionate voice of young people” ….Jo Terrell, Head of Creative Arts, Richmond upon Thames College
“Save our Lands and River (SOLAR) are proud to celebrate our dynamic partnership between SOLAR, The Anglers and Richmond upon Thames College. We have been so impressed by the passion, energy and creativity from the winning team as well as the rest of the competition entries. We would encourage everyone to join with these amazing young people in finding out more about Thames Water’s environmentally destructive proposals and visit our website to see how to get involved”….Emma Tolhurst, SOLAR Campaigner and competition coordinator
“As a local pub that serves the local community we have been delighted to be involved in this project. Given our location, so close to the river, we have a determination to see a healthy River Thames and their determination, ensuring we challenge anything, such as TDRA, that will cause long term environmental damage for local people, wildlife and water safety”….Ben Walton, Manager The Anglers