Whanganui kids create with waste at Resource Recovery Centre holiday workshop

Amber Bullock, 9, glues bottle tops to the lighthouse she is making. Photo / Bevan Conley

Children using waste materials in a school holiday art workshop were so engrossed they barely stopped for morning tea.

"I ask them to come and they just have a quick drink and go back," adult helper Debbie Sayring said.

About 10 children were painting, gluing and otherwise constructing in the Whanganui Resource Recovery Centre (WRRC) Harakeke Room on Thursday. Their work will refurbish and refresh the centre's sculpture garden with robots, painted rocks and fresh new gardens.

The sculpture garden was made during an art workshop for children in July.

From January 13 to 17 the children will work on a mural of notable Whanganui buildings like the Duncan Pavilion and Royal Wanganui Opera House. It's to be attached to the fence between the centre and fire station next door.

They can gather materials from the centre and Sustainable Whanganui's ReUse Academy, and have a huge collection of fabric, cans, lids, wire, paint, glue and bicycle parts.

"We have got so much to choose from," Sayring said.

She loves interacting with the children and hearing their ideas, and said they have been learning new techniques such as using a glue gun and spray painting.

Esther Topfer is the lead artist and teacher at the two week-long workshops. She will be working with about 15 children aged 9-14 each week.

The workshops were funded $2500 by Creative Communities Whanganui, a partnership between Whanganui District Council and Creative New Zealand. They are a joint venture between the WRRC and Sustainable Whanganui, WRRC trustee Graham Pearson said.