Free 'activity packs' offered to kids so they can contribute to ‘No Place for Hate in Leith’ flower wall

Creative Electric, an arts and theatre company based in Leith, created a flower wall in protest of offensive graffiti on Leith Walk at the start of the year and now want to make sure the whole community can get involved.

Heather Marshall, founder of Creative Electric, in front of the 'No Place for Hate in Leith' wall on Leith Walk.

Creative Electric founder, Heather Marshall, grew up in Leith and started the company with the goal of reaching people who “wouldn’t traditionally engage with the arts”.

Towards the end of last year, Heather saw some racist and xenophobic graffiti on Leith Walk and wanted to send a “positive yet strong” message to those responsible.

She told the Evening News: “Leith is a community I've lived in all my life, it has always been a diverse and supportive community.

The outline of the worksheet being offered to children in the community so they can decorate their own flowers.

“We don't tolerate hate in Leith, we don't accept racism or xenophobia, or any form of hate.”

In response to the vandalism, Heather and some crew members from her company created a flower wall on New Year’s Day, made of 1,000 white foam flowers that reads “No Place for Hate in Leith”.

To get the community involved, Heather worked with local designer Kerry Stewart, and created the activity packs which they are offering free to children across Leith.

Heather continued: “I wanted to create something so that families could make their own flowers together, with their own positive messages.

'No Place for Hate in Leith' flower wall on Leith Walk.

“The pack includes a worksheet template, coloured paper, jewels, pens, children’s safety scissors and things.

"We included sticky-dots as well so that people can put them up around the original message too.

“I’m aware that some families won’t have all the materials they need to do this so I wanted to make sure everything they would need was included.”

The packs are being sent out to every primary school in Leith, as well as some youth centres and the Multicultural Family Base, where they will be translated into Arabic for young refugees in the area.

Heather added: “It was just me and my mum when I was growing up and we didn’t have much money.

“Every year we’d watch street theatre during the Fringe and it was such an exciting time, I felt like I was part of something.

“That’s the feeling I want to create, the feeling that everyone can get involved.”

To get activity packs for your own children, get in touch with Creative Electric here.

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