Celebs turn loo seats into art for World Toilet Day
Melanie May | 22 November 2021 | News
Artists, fashion designers and celebrities turned toilet seats into art as part of a project with WaterAid and the Rankin Agency for this month’s World Toilet Day.
World Toilet Day took place on Friday, 19 November, with WaterAid and the Rankin Agency teaming up with 25 celebrities including Harry Hill, Dame Zandra Rhodes, Val Garland, Pam Hogg, Ozwald Boateng, Martin Parr and Boy George.
Their ‘Best Seats in the House’ were photographed by the Rankin Agency and lift the lid on how toilets are a luxury out of reach for millions around the world.
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The collection includes a golden throne, punk art, seats decorated in beautiful fabric, and a lucky toilet seat.
By designer Ozwald Boateng. ©RANKIN/WaterAid, 2021 By artist Seema Mattu. ©RANKIN/WaterAid, 2021 By designer Dame Zandra Rhodes. ©RANKIN/WaterAid, 2021 By comedian Harry Hill. ©RANKIN/WaterAid, 2021 By fashion designer Pam Hogg. ©RANKIN/WaterAid, 2021 
By artist Daisy Collingridge. ©RANKIN/WaterAid, 2021 By artist Chila Burman. ©RANKIN/WaterAid, 2021
Dame Zandra Rhodes said:
“A working toilet should be a basic human right for everyone, but almost two billion people around the world don’t have access to something so important. I have turned a conventional item into a piece of art. One of my archive prints ‘Chinese Water Circles’ can be seen printed onto silk organza and draped over the seat to emulate water. It has created perfect waves and golden swirls, to highlight that a toilet and access to water is, unfortunately, in some countries, still a luxury.”
Rankin commented:
“The toilet really is the Best Seat in the House, and that’s what we want to show through this campaign. Toilets can make us feel a little uncomfortable. Using the toilet seat as a canvas is an accessible and engaging way to put the spotlight on toilets and get people talking about them. The designs are fun, but carry an important message – that everyone everywhere needs a decent toilet. And by supporting WaterAid, we can help get toilets into schools around the world.”
With one in five people globally having no decent toilet at home, the charity has launched its Thirst for Knowledge appeal to help it deliver clean water and toilets to communities in Nepal and elsewhere around the world. The UK government is matching public donations made between 16 November and 15 February 2022 up to £2 million.
About Melanie May
Melanie May is a journalist and copywriter specialising in writing both for and about the charity and marketing services sectors since 2001. She can be reached via thepurplepim.com.