A NORTHWICH artist has combined her work with a desire to do a little good in the world - which has earnt her a place in a national exhibition.
 
Beth Barlow’s ‘Starvation Diet’ concept was chosen from world-wide submissions to feature at The Art of Protest exhibition, which is showing at the People’s History Museum, Manchester, until June 30.

In 2009, mum-of-one Beth decided whenever she had a craving to snack or eat something unhealthy, she would instead donate the money to charity and believes this could eventually add up to £10,000.

The 38-year-old said: “The first time I started doing it I was in Wilko’s and I saw this big Christmas pudding and I thought, I could buy that quite easily and take it home to share with my son, but I decided to resist it and donate the money instead.

“It’s not about starving yourself or not allowing yourself to have calories, it’s about deciding whether someone who’s starving needs that more than me.”

Beth was inspired to embark upon the challenge after reading the book ‘The End of Food’, which states there are as many people who are obese and over-weight as there are those who are starving and malnourished.

Her challenge became ‘Starvation Diet’ which she described as a ‘spoof website’ which selling embroidered starvation diet t-shirts, depicting a malnourished woman.

Beth, who works with Cuddington Youth Club and recently completed the Northwich ‘Collect’ project – which collated residents’ memories of the Memorial Hall – said she hopes her work highlights imbalance in the world.

Visit NOISEfestival.com for more information.