supported through the SocialArtNetwork//Kickstarter mentoring programme 2019. Selected for inclusion in
The Institute for
Art and Innovation “
Social Art
Award 2020” book,
Germany
(small but) FIERCE
for & by bold children who want to change the world
(& the adults who support them)
created by
children
inspired by the global
Nasty Women
movement
an ongoing, international project disrupting, questioning & having fun with what a children's magazine can / should be.
interviews.
interview 6: Lilia Jackson, author and
environmental campaigner, UK
Q: Please tell us your name, age and anywhere we can find more information about you?
A: My name is Lilia Jackson and I am 8 years old. My Mummy writes books to do with problems of plastic in the sea and her website is www.wildtribeheroes.com and I help her with the books.
Q: Can you describe your work in terms that a 4-year-old can
understand, please?
A: My favourite book that Mummy has written is called “Duffy’s Lucky Escape” about a turtle who eats too much plastic. I saw the real turtle in the book being released back into the sea and then I wanted to pick up any rubbish I saw on the beach to help save more turtles. I now help Mummy do lots of beach cleans even when it is freezing cold or in the rain and also help her with her books - I do interviews with TV and the newspaper or help her when she reads the book to lots of children. I also make art out of the rubbish I find on the beach but this is only for fun!
Image: Symages Photography
Q: What is your favourite piece of activism / art that you’ve ever done?
A: I had a special dress made for me out of balloons which had been washed up in the sea. People sometimes let balloons go up into the sky but when they come down they can hurt all our animals. I loved getting dressed up and knowing that it would help children to learn not to let balloons go and save the seabirds like Marli the puffin in Mummy’s story made me really happy.
Q: What can we children do (one thing) that will make the world substantially better for us when we are adults and for our children if we have them?
A: If every child picks up rubbish when they go down to the beach or if they see it in their town then it will get rid of the plastic and keep our oceans clean. If every child tells a grown up to pick up rubbish too then it will make a big difference.
Q: Who is your favourite Disney princess and which Disney princess do you think is the strongest (in emotion or in physical strength)?
A: I love Ariel because she lives under the water and all the animals love her and I used to live on a boat and I love the animals in our sea too.
Q: We think everyone in the world has their own real-life super hero super power! What is your super hero super power in real life and if you could choose another made up one what would it be too?
A: I really love animals and I want to help them when I grow up so my super hero super power is helping animals. If I could have another super power it would be to be able to talk to animals.
Q: We love your balloon dress, could you tell us some more about that please and was it itchy to wear?
A: I had a special dress made for me by Linda (Linda Thomas Eco Design*) out of balloons which had been washed up in the sea. People sometimes let balloons go up into the sky but when they come down they can hurt all our animals. I loved getting dressed up and knowing that it would help children to learn not to let balloons go and save the seabirds like Marli the puffin in Mummy’s story made me really happy.I had to put special curls in my hair and sleep with them in all night to make my hair look like balloon ribbons. I got all dressed up in the morning - it was freezing cold and I had to keep putting a big coat on and a hot water bottle to keep me warm whilst outside filming. I loved how colourful and shiny the dress was and it wasn’t itchy at all. I also liked how it blew up in the wind or when I span around. For the photo I had to put on a really cross face to show how sad I was that balloons were going into our oceans. After filming on the beach I went into school to show the whole school my dress and my friends thought it was really cool.
*Dr Linda from Linda Thomas Eco Design creates ethical upcycled clothing. She has created a series of dresses aimed at raising awareness of ocean plastic and her "99 Dead Balloons" dress is designed to educate people about the problems of balloon releases.