News
2017 in Review
During this past year Creativity Works have evolved a wide range of programmes, workshops, training opportunities for artists, participants, volunteers and communities. The breadth and depth of these has been far reaching and too numerous to detail here but some highlights include:
- The continued development of our co|Create programme supporting artists working in the field of Socially Engaged Arts.
- The continuation of our highly acclaimed Fresh Art@ programme – a partnership project supported by Creativity Works, Avon & Wiltshire NHS Mental Health Partnership Trust (AWP), The Holburne Museum, No1 Royal Crescent, The American Museum in Britain and Virgin Care.
- Community Matters: working with the University of Bath to undertake a research project to gain a better understanding of the effect arts and the creative process has on the lives of group members of Creative Peer Support Groups.
- Pilot of a Creative Skills for Carers programme in collaboration with Bath College.
- Participation in The All Party Parliamentary Group on Arts, Health and Wellbeing Inquiry exploring the impacts of creative interventions.
- Participation in the International Conference of Culture, Health and Wellbeing.
- Curating How I Make It Work: a Week long exhibition and creative workshopfest as part of World Mental Health Day at 44AD Gallery in Bath.
- Participation in two national business develop initiatives; ‘Boosting Resilience’ and ‘Prosper’.
- Continuing The Summer Wellbeing Challenge, a month of creative activity based around the 5 ways to wellbeing, empowering those taking part to share their creative experiences digitally through social media and our website
- Working in partnership with the University of the West of England to research a network of community groups for people affected by mental health difficulties living in B&NES. This resulted in the ‘What Works for Peer Support Groups’ and the creation of a practical Toolkit for developing peer led groups and for training of peer leaders in B&NES.
- The development of a new pilot project, The Radstock Arts Project, aimed at vulnerable young women.
- A new commission from Somerset Libraries, to be delivered next year, re-designing library spaces alongside people with autism.
- The appointment of Creativity Works as the Cultural Producer as part of a new arts engagement and community development initiative led by Bath and North East Somerset Council focussed on two areas of the district, Foxhill and the Somer Valley
- The continuation of Creative Links, the mental health creative support service in partnership with Virgin Care
- Re-established the My Time My Space project for mothers experiencing post-natal depression, anxiety and low mood with B&NES Children’s Centres, Health Visiting teams and Bath College.
We’d like to extend a HUGE Thank You to all of the partners we have worked with throughout 2017.
Together we are stronger!
Arts Council England, AWP, Balsam Centre, B&NES Council, B&NES Wellbeing College, Bath College, Creative Perspectives, Bath Artist’s Studios, Bath Fringe, Bath Mind, Bath Spa University, Community Links Team, Virgin Care, Genesis, Heads-up, Health Visiting Teams, Quartet Foundation, Royal United Hospital, Somerset Community Foundation, South West Foundation, St. Mungo’s, The Holburne Museum, No.1 Royal Crescent, The American Museum, University of Bath, WATCH, Writing Space, Youth Connect, What Next? Culture.
And Thank You to all our artists, volunteers and participants who continue to inspire us with their creative talents.
Olly, Philippa, Morwhenna, Nat, Stuart and Betty (the CW office dog!)
The Creativity Works Team