Trash to Treasure: Creativity on display

Eight schools pulled out all the stops to showcase their creativity in the Dunes Mall Walvis Bay Trash to Treasure competition, with a grand prize of N$10 000 up for grabs.The schools competing, with their sculptures on display at the mall, are Narraville Primary School, Kuisebmond Secondary School, Namib High School, De Duine Secondary School, Walvis Bay Private School, Flamingo Secondary School, Alexander’s Private School, and the International School of Walvis Bay.Schools were invited to participate in the competition by submitting proposals for structures made of recycled materials, symbolising a specific cause. Marshall Kheiseb, from Dunes Mall, explained that they received about 25 proposals, of which eight, currently on display, met the competition’s criteria.“The creativity of the learners and seeing the proposals come to life are simply mind-blowing,” he remarked.The public currently has the opportunity to vote by scanning the QR codes of the various sculptures. A total of 50% of these votes will count towards the final score of the sculpture.Entries will be evaluated on several criteria: creativity and originality, assessing the innovativeness and uniqueness of the sculpture’s concept; use of recycled materials, examining how effectively recycleable materials are integrated; aesthetic appeal, considering the visual appeal and engagement; concept and message, looking at the clarity and relevance of the message related to recycling, sustainability, or the environment; craftsmanship, focusing on the construction quality and attention to detail; and environmental impact, determining how well the sculpture aligns with sustainability and repurposing principles.This will be done by a judging panel consisting of representatives from Dunes Mall management.Materials used for the sculptures range from plastic bottles, cardboard, and paper to metal scraps, wood, glass, textiles, electronics, tires, plastic bags, bottle caps and lids, natural elements such as branches, stones, and leaves, broken toys, and junk mail.The winner of the competition will be announced on June 8, 2024, at Dunes Mall, Walvis Bay.Narraville Primary School built a sculpture representing the strain humans put on the Earth using salvaged paper, salvaged metal, spray foam, a salvaged oil drum, metal mesh wire, and paint.Kuisebmond Secondary School created a sculpture of a standing man with the message “Let’s keep our environment clean”. It is made from wood, metal wire, and old clothes.Namib High School made a sculpture representing Mother Earth, also portraying the impact of human actions on the planet. The materials used were chicken wire, newspapers, chip packets, plastic bags, zip ties, cardboard, greenery, fishing line, fishing net, plastic bottles, paint, and poly filler.De Duine Secondary School’s learners titled their sculpture “Where the Ocean Meets the Treasure”, depicting an elephant and two dolphins.Walvis Bay Private School’s sculpture is called Angel Art, celebrating the transformative power of creativity through the lens of the “trash to treasure” concept. The materials used were wood cut-offs, cans, bottle caps, old toys, papers, wrappers, and wires.Flamingo Secondary School’s sculpture is called “Next Wave”, depicting two flamingoes, which holds significant meaning to the school; it depicts a baby flamingo watching as an older flamingo demonstrates how to dispose of waste correctly into a recycling bin. The materials used in this sculpture are plastic bottles, papers, paint cans, concrete to support the legs, wood planks, pallets, PVC piping, cardboard, wire, wool, and nails. Alexander’s Private School sculpted an ostrich, showcasing the resilience of this animal and how it fiercely protects its young. Materials included laundry detergent bottles, plastic salt containers, spray bottles, plastic water bottles, plastic bags, scrap paper, newspapers, a broken hose pipe, paper rolls, a broken hose nozzle, and broken fan parts.In partnership with the Ocean Conservation of Namibia (OCN), the International School of Walvis Bay sculpted the “Salvaged Seal”, which is a seal built out of old boxes, foamalite, retrieved fishing line, fishing net, plastic cords, and plastic. Also on display with the sculpture is fishing line that was retrieved from entangled seals by OCN. – leandrea@erongo.com.na

Trash to Treasure: Creativity on display

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Republikein 2025-11-03

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Trash to Treasure: Creativity on display

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