Creativity in Community Sharing
This project was funded by the Battersea Power Station Spring Fund and took place within the vicinity of the Stockwell Park Estate with the following local organisations.
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Lambeth Vocational Services, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust. Support people 18-65 with mental health issues to become more included in the community.
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Community Trust based on the Stockwell Park Estate (1500 dwelling). Formed in 1994 as a response to high crime, a demoralised and de-motivated community.
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Helmi House extra care scheme (46 flats with onsite carers). Support predominantly older people with mobility issues.
Both the residents and staff of the organisation recognised the values of having Art activities that promotes Health and Wellbeing. This project covered the issues around nutrition, healthy eating, and community sharing. There was also an emphasis on combating loneliness and isolation that can contribute to poor physical and mental health. Refreshments were included in the workshops encouraging participants to share stories and feel a part of the community.
There were 17 workshops in total in the locations which included Watercolour, Acrylic and Glass paintings.
There were exhibition displays in all the centres with an larger exhibition at the Community Trust. Unique A5 cards and posters were produce from the workshop material as a testament to the project.
The Community Trust exhibition had 2 special events coinciding with the exhibition. The Private View on the 13 December 2019 which was attended by the workshop participants and the community. The other event was a special Christmas Concert, on the 21 December 2019, with the Brixton Chamber Orchestra attended by over a 100 people.
The project set out to have an
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local impact - through project activities aiming to raise awareness around Health and Wellbeing and combat loneliness and isolation.
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shared involvement -through allowing all the organisations, staff and participants the opportunity to shape the project. To have an collaborative approach allowing the participants in developing a feeling ownership and sense of pride.
Accelerate change in the community
The Project aims were to engage the community, promoting and raisings awareness around Health and Wellbeing through creative activities. The Government Report - A strategy for tackling loneliness states “Loneliness is not new but we do increasingly recognise it as one of our most pressing public health issues.”
The Project activities worked to address these concerns to accelerate change in the community through
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working with partners with a reach in the community to reach those who are feeling lonely.
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having refreshment breaks in all activities. To help people talk, share stories and build relationships with others.
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raising awareness around Health and Wellbeing through creative activities that encourage lifestyle changes in a positive way.
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having activities that contributed in breaking down barriers, allowing people who do normally interact, working and socialising together so they can feel a part of the community.
Visits to Tate Modern
There were 3 visits to Tate Modern organised through the Regeneration and Community Partnerships depart at Tate Modern. The visits coincided with the fountain "Fons Americanus" by the artist Kara Walker in the Turbine Hall and the "In Real Life" exhibition by the artist Olafur Eliasson.
The Helmi House extra care scheme visit included a mini bus and wheelchair helpers. There was an introduction to the Tate by the Programme Coordinator, Clore Hub at Tate. The residents had lunch at the newly remodelled Clore Hub with the catering provided by the Local Squeeze.
There was a further visit in February 2020 which included workshop participants from the Community Trust and Lambeth Vocational Services. It was an workshop visit organised by the Clore Hub Programme Coordinator exploring what gallery spaces can mean and offer to ‘community groups’ as a space of encounter, meeting and conversation. The workshops was experimental exploring how the gallery could be used by a range of adult/community groups. One of the intentions was discover, through exploration and engagement, how the gallery, location, spaces and art are/can be relevant to different groups in different ways.
Peoples Fridge Christmas Food Delivery
The Peoples Fridge arranged food delivery to the Community Trust. The Community Trust help a lot of vulnerable people ,with many suffering from isolation and loneliness, during the Christmas period. It was agreed with the Peoples Fridge to help with the food collection at M & S to be delivered to the Community Trust whilst Pop Brixton was closed during the Christmas period (where the Community Fridge is based). In total there were 5 collection and delivery visits.
Stockwell Park Community Trust visit from
Chelsea College of Arts
On the 9 March 2020 Stockwell Park Community Trust had 55 students studying Product and Furniture Design at Chelsea College of Arts. This included a gilded walk around the Estate. The main aim of the visit was for the students to work on a project with the Community Trust as a part of their course work.
Project proposals included setting a brief for the design students to design a site specific bespoke feature to incorporate art activities which could act as a storage for the art equipment and a display for the work produced.
On a separated venture it was looked at how to incorporate designs from the workshops onto permanent Public Art both interior and exterior.
