In an effort to create eco friendly reminder and raise the awareness of the importance of protecting animals and plants, lanterns were created from bamboo, cane, paper and recyceld bottles. The finished products will be floated in the lagoon adorned with beautiful paintings and lights.
Forbes residents were invited to the local town hall to participate in lantern making workshops in the lead up to the Kalari-Lachlan River Arts Festival. The workshops, held by the Central West Artist Groups with funding from Regional Arts NSW and Forbes Shire Council, included simple lantern making workshops for younger children and advanced designs for older participants.
Constructed of bamboo, cane and paper, the advanced lanterns took shape in the form of fish and birds representing the wildlife found around Forbes Lagoon. Jyllie Jackson, Artistic Director of LightnUp Incorporated, was commissioned to conduct the workshops with the hope of teaching the intricate skill of lantern making to all ages. Jyllie recently featured in an ABC Open Whadyaknow video demonstrating how to make butterfly lanterns using recycled milk bottles.
The finished works will be paraded around Forbes Lagoon on Sunday 4 September preceding a musical concert as part of the opening event for the 2011 State Landcare Forum.
