The entertainment industry has been hit brutally by the pandemic, thespians and performers have been left without an audience for far too long. Some have thrived online though, one local example of this is Jodie Marsh-Hoffman, creator of Overton’s Junk Jodie Arts and Crafts.
The initial national lockdown saw Jodie like many receive a years’ worth of cancellations, without the face-to-face community events where her popular theatrical arts and crafts workshops engage an audience. It was important to Jodie to ‘keep creative and positive through the tough times’ so she moved her workshops online and Junk Jodie has thrived ever since as she tells CommunityAd:
“Suddenly in March 2020 all my creative work got cancelled due to COVID-19. It was quite a shock to the system. However, with a passionate, positive and imaginative soul, I decided to not let it defeat me. I wondered how I could continue to be creative and involve young people in low-cost art, during this time of face-to-face community events being cancelled. This led me to start up my YouTube channel, Junk Jodie Arts and Crafts to offer young people free accessible online craft workshops.”
Your channel is an absolute asset for inspiring both creativity and recycling among young people, why are both things important to you?
I like to try and make all my videos educational, so many people learn by being creative, I know that’s how I learnt. It’s important to me to help parents and teachers with home-schooling in these tough times. It’s great to think of lots of families following my creations without it costing them a fortune. This is why recycling materials is so wonderful, it encourages us to take care of our planet whilst giving your junk a second, third or fourth life. We must look after our world after all we only get one and young people are our future. If I can make just an ounce of difference inspiring, spreading awareness and encouraging people to recycle and take care of our planet then I feel hugely fulfilled.
In a time of home-schooling, your classes must bring such relief to parents, have you had any feedback from thankful parents?
I have been getting such wonderful feedback from parents, teachers, theatre companies, care homes and the council. My channel has even managed to get me an agent, my agent Jane Compton has got me running live workshops all the way in India. I have also been invited three times on BBC Radio Berkshire since March 2020 to talk about my Junk Jodie channel and what it has to offer families.
All the support has truly meant the world to me. The past 10 months have blown me away, I didn’t realise in such a crisis such achievements could happen. It just shows to you never give up on your dreams no matter what life throws at you.
It must be such a nice feeling to see your creations being emulated by watchers?
It is such an amazing feeling knowing people are actually following my channel and making art from it. I have had many families send photos of their children’s creations and it brings me nothing but joy. All the hard work I put in to making my videos from scripting, making the prototypes, videoing and editing all feels so worthwhile when I see the creations being emulated.
As well as having a fresh, new approach to recycling, Jodie is also new to the community of Overton:
I purchased a house with my partner in November 2019 and after a year of renovation we moved in November 2020. I love Overton for its community spirit, beautiful walks, lovely commodities. It’s nice living in a village that’s still close to my family in Basingstoke.
Have you found it to be a welcoming community?
Very welcoming, yes! Everyone says hello when you walk past them. The village has so much to offer (out of lockdown) with local fairs like the car fest and a yearly scarecrow festival. A really lovely village that feels safe to live in.
Jodie is currently sharing fun craft videos based on Basingstoke’s History for the virtual Basingstoke Festival 2021:
So far we have been learning about Jane Austen by making a Jane Austen sock puppet. The 32 mile long Basingstoke canal, by making a canal boat. As well as Thornycroft vehicles by making a Thornycroft steam vehicle.”