Spotlight on Mila

February 24, 2016

Since becoming a guardian in September, Mila has volunteered around 50 hours for a variety of causes. This has ranged from refurbishing a local community hall to fundraising for a school in Gambia. In January Mila helped to organise and invigilate an exhibition at a local gallery. This is what she has to say about the experience:

Volunteers refurbishing a community hall

‘For the last month, I have been volunteering at The Nunnery Gallery in Bow Church. The Nunnery is a diverse gallery run by Bow Arts that has a particular focus on site-responsive work and works that explore the history and themes of the local area.

My first volunteering duties were to assist in the painting of the gallery walls and to help hang the current show, ’Plastic Vanitas’ by Mariele Neudecker. ‘Plastic Vanitas’ is a series of photographic works exploring the expansive collection of plastic held by the Museum of Design in Plastics (MoDiP). Neudecker has photographed a selection of plastic objects that are stored in boxes and grouped together by material, size, and weight. The groups of objects at first appear quite randomly selected and the odd combinations result in new meanings and relationships created between the plastics.

The photographs are composed in the style of Vanitas still-life painting, in which everyday objects are presented as symbols of life, meaningless and death. The plastic objects in Neudecker’s photographs therefore each appear to be carrying a symbolic meaning that goes beyond their everyday purpose. The ‘Plastic Vanitas’ exhibit has particular relevance in this area of East London because in 1865, the first ever man-made plastic ‘Parkesine’ was trademarked by Alexander Parkes in a factory in Hackney Wick.

‘Plastic Vanitas’ Exhibit

After helping to hang the exhibit, I had the pleasure of attending a talk by Mariele Neudecker explaining her work, her creative processes and the deeper meanings behind the show relating to the sustainable role of plastic. Whilst invigilating the show, I have had the opportunity to meet a range of people who have come to visit the gallery. It is fascinating to see that people of all ages, from infants to the elderly, visit the gallery regularly. I never realised, until now, how much of an important role an art gallery can play within a community.’

‘Plastic Vanitas’ is showing at The Nunnery until 27th March 2016. To find out more click here.

Get involved

If you’re interested in volunteering and becoming a guardian with dot dot dot, apply here today
Keep up to date with our news and our guardians’ volunteering experiences on Facebook and Twitter

Filed Under Guardian stories · Leave a Comment

Dot Dot Dot stands for property guardianship done well

We are a social enterprise which houses people in buildings that would otherwise be empty

We respect our guardians, selecting only the very best while supporting them to further the interests of their neighbourhood and to provide a high level of service to the property’s owner. This is a win-win-win for property guardians, owners and communities.

Find out more

Quick Links

Testimonials

“It’s great because I often work from home. Because it’s a huge building you have you’re own space, but if you want to hang out with other guardians you can.”
Sarah, Whitechapel
“Being a guardian here you have a place to work, a place to socialise and place of your own.”
Alex, Whitechapel
“There’s an instant community feel here which is great. Looking forward to organising movie nights and board games nights with the other guardians.”
Caitlin, Whitechapel
“I love the idea that you are part of a community in such a large city. I like the fact we are allowed to be creative with the decoration of the flat and getting involved with local charities is something which I have missed doing over the last few years.”
Jasmine, Peckham
“Once I knew that everyone was up for 16 hours of volunteering a month, I felt pretty confident they’d be great, considerate housemates, and they are.”
Kit, Croydon
Local people have been very positive. They like the fact an empty building in their neighbourhood is being used again and is being maintained.
Conor, Shoreham-by-Sea
“Being a guardian gives me the freedom to do good, invest time in work I believe in and be part of a fascinating community. It’s a no-brainer.”
Sam, Thamesmead
“Living in a Dot Dot Dot property has enabled me to do much more volunteering and reduce my hours at my day job.”
David, Croydon
“If I wasn’t a property guardian I would either be paying a ridiculous amount of money on renting in London or unable to move out of my grandmother’s house at all. I certainly wouldn’t be able to afford to spend time volunteering.”
Bella, Bow
“When I started investigating guardianship options, Dot Dot Dot stood out because of the emphasis on volunteering and contributing to the local community.”
Alison, Bow