Flying the Flag for Haydon! - A Merton Community Arts Project

Friday 26th March saw the release of a joint press release from LB Merton and AFC Wimbledon announcing the launch of an exciting collaboration between the club and Merton's Community Arts Team. Based very much on the enjoyable experience of creating a flag with the High Path Day Centre, this project encourages pupils to create their own flag that in some way reflect one or more of the passions of AFC Wimbledon's very own Haydon the Womble. Haydon is passionate about many things, such as inclusivity, re-cycling, ecological issues, fair play, community and, of course, AFC Wimbledon, so there should be plenty of themes for the pupils to think about!

To help them get started the club will be providing all participating schools with a handy 'Flag Pack',  although we hope they will let their imagination go wild and add as much extra colour and excitement to it as possible.

The 'Flag Pack' - A blank flag, paints, brushes & some programmes for inspiration!

Representatives from the club are also happy to visit schools to explain the project, provide a few hints, suggestions and technical tips and to display a range of existing flags flown at the ground. If we are very lucky we may even be able to persuade a few special guests to join us as well...

The schools will have most of the Summer term to complete their masterpieces and they could be produced at a one-off session or as part of a project over several weeks, but they will need to get to grips with design, layout and the scaling up of work to such a large size. Quite a challenge but an enjoyable one for all concerned. Then, after all the hard work and artistic endeavour, the highlight of the project will be a public exhibition and the hanging of all the flags in the art gallery above Wimbledon Library. This will take place between Monday 12th and Saturday 17th of July and we will be encouraging as many members of the public to come in, see the flags and read all about the feelings behind them.

But flags aren't really flags unless they have the opportunity to fly in the breeze and in order to see them in their true setting the pupils and their flags will be invited to one of AFC Wimbledon's

pre-season friendlies where the Tempest Stand will be converted into a giant art gallery for the day!

We'll do our very  best to keep everyone up-to-date with developments so keep your eyes peeled and your brushes clean!