Stop Loan Sharks – Magic Money Tree Project
Project Overview
Digital Arts Box is partnering with England Illegal Money Lending Team and Cheshire Constabulary on a public awareness project, centred around the dangers of loan sharks operating in St Helens.
Marrying digital design with installation art, our ‘Magic Money Tree’ Project is a community-focused series of sessions, culminating in four unique ‘Magic Money Tree’ art installations. Working with four St Helens schools, our project will highlight the dangers of loan sharks. The young people will learn about illegal money lenders; who they are, how they exploit vulnerable people and what can be done if someone is involved with a loan shark. We will then focus on teaching the young people digital arts skills to design and create their own loan shark awareness banknotes. The finished artworks will contain useful information to help those involved with illegal money lenders, and they’ll be printed and hung onto each school’s money tree.
Our work throughout the project will build towards a celebration event at St Helens Library on 4th March 2023. We’ll display all of our schools’ money trees, bedecked with their anti-loan shark bank notes. Every participant and their families will be invited to join us for a range of fun creative activities. After this the schools will receive the magic money tree created by their students to put on display at their centres, to proudly showcase their pupils’ artistic skills and continue to raise awareness about illegal money lenders in their community.
We are proud of the success of our previous projects working with the England Illegal Money Lending Team. This ‘Magic Money Tree’ project will follow the success of our Pixel Art Project in Halton, which also involved working with local schools and community groups to create a public art exhibition. We are strong advocates for public awareness through creative community-based arts projects.
When does the project take place?
The project runs across a series of two-hour sessions throughout early 2023.
Where will the sessions take place?
We’ll be working with four St Helens schools, with a session running during the school day at each centre.
How much does it cost?
This project is completely free of charge for young people and the schools.