Little Utopias:
Wennie’s Wilderness
Read more about Wennie’s journey with B arts, how she first became involved, and how her memories influenced installation, Wennie’s Wilderness, an immersive experience as part of B arts project Little Utopias. Wennie Lin is a member of the B arts Space to Connect Advisory group, who helped to shape the project.
Author - Wennie Lin 22nd November 2021
Photograph of Wennie’s Wilderness taken at Little Utopia’s Showcase evening in October. The blue shutter, with the words ‘dinner time’ written in traditional Chinese characters came from a clear memory of growing up in Taiwan, of being called in to dinner from the freedom, naivety and the wilderness of youth.
It was one summer holiday when I first connected with B arts.
I took my children to join a library event called "The Little School of Improbable cooking". I didn’t even know who B arts were, and what did they do?!! But we were taken to the building and learned that B arts is a community place where there are lots of activities for the neighbourhood. So, I started following their Facebook page and attended many, many events after that!
I have to say, B arts is a good organisation. From being an event participant to becoming a volunteer for some events, I thoroughly enjoy every single minute of my time when I attend. During lockdown, B arts provided lots of Zoom events. They became part of our weekly highlight, and the children were so looking forward to each event we participated in. We have learned so many different skills from each event too.
Gradually, when we came out of the lockdown, people were getting fed up with life and there are so many people suffering from mental health problems, e.g. depression or anxiety, especially young people. Life was turned upside down for them.
That is when the Little Utopia's idea started forming.
Richard did few of Little Utopia shoe box making workshops. There are lots of interesting discuss during the event and trigger me with quite a deeper thinking. Thinking about “Utopia”:
What’s the meaning of “UTOPIA”?
What is everyone’s Utopia?
How to get/reach to your Utopia?
Utopia is a personal concept of a wonderland where you would want to live in. It can be a material, technological, or urban world, or even back into the stone age where people had the bare minimum. During the shoe box making sessions, you saw lots of different ideas of Utopia, both from adults and children. They are so interesting and lead you to think. For me, my Utopia is a philosophy, not a real world, because it does not exist.
Photograph of Wennie’s Wilderness taken at Little Utopia’s Showcase evening in October. The audiences had to walk through this corridor of greenery and forest foliage representing the wilderness of youth.
However, to conceptualise it, my Utopia is an urban/country life with a minimum amount of technology, as it does make the life easier in a way. Especially for people like me - a migrant to the UK society - as I can easily communicate with families overseas. And people can communicate with other, using all the online apps to talk and stay in connection with outside.
My childhood now is my Utopian world, if I could travel back in time. Not much high technology, but full of childhood activities… marble flipping, frog fishing, tree climbing… so many different ways to have fun! Our grandmother wouldn't see us till dinner time when she stood in the front of the alleyway and shouted "dinner is ready - 吃飯了 ". All of this came out from the discussion meeting with Richard in one of the workshops, and these are such vulnerable memories of mine.
The Little Utopia walk-through art experience was presented on Sunday, 10th Oct. It felt like everyone's Utopia was presented on that day. You could see people's dreams, wishes and, maybe, the future world.
Who knows what the future is going to turn out like, but we need to keep positive, and have a little Utopia in our heart, and driving us to the brighter future. All the best and pray for world peace!!
Wennie Lin
Photograph taken at Little Utopia’s Showcase evening in October. The text reads: “Utopia is a work in progress. Many have passed this way before you and many will again. The future is forever beyond our reach, but we keep reaching, together.”