Waste not, Wonder lots

Rosie Antiszko

They may look like five ordinary wheelie bins on an Old Trafford street, but take a closer look and you’ll discover a series of tiny art galleries brimming with recycled treasures. ‘Waste not want not’ is inspired by folklore and traditional folk tales, celebrating our different cultures and heritage.

Inside each bin is one or more miniature worlds, called dioramas, made from objects that might otherwise have been thrown away. The dioramas have been created during weekly workshops at OT Creative Space led by Old Trafford folk artist Rosie Antiszko.

Whilst one offers an intimate peak into the life of Arabella the wise woman, complete with a book of herbal potions and frog and turtle familiars, another remembers the story of Gef the talking mongoose, an unlikely tale from the Isle of Man. A secret garden is home to two fairies with an uncanny likeness to singer Taylor Swift, and yet another scene pays homage to the northern folktale of Granny Greenteeth, a terrifying apparition based on supernatural creature the grindylow, who scared young children away from murky ponds and streams.

eclaimed arratives

Part of the Reclaimed Narratives project , nothing new was bought for their creation. Every scene is made from repurposed or found items, including broken jewellery, recycled fabric, old ornaments, magazine pages and natural materials including twigs and leaves.

“We had great fun making these Dioramas, it was a great way to express our creativity, culture, heritage and explore our relationship with waste and recycling. We store things away in the hope we might use them some day and this project provided the opportunity. We hope you might be inspired to make one too.” Rosie Antiszko