Author: communications

THE CREATIVE ARTS AND EDUCATION

Posted on July 24, 2024 by - Stories, Blogs

THE CREATIVE ARTS AND EDUCATION

Creativity in education significantly enhances students’ learning experiences and overall development. At Create, our programmes, led by professional artists, offer participants high-quality creative arts experiences. Research by Linearity shows that participation in art-based programmes positively impacts academic achievements, and correlates with higher student engagement, increased confidence, and a strong desire to learn. After engaging in creativity, students become more responsible for their learning, feel confident mastering complex material, and are willing to take risks.

Staff members at the special needs schools that have taken part in Create projects shared with us the significant educational benefits their students gained from engaging with creative arts activities.

IMPROVING STUDENTS’ ENGAGEMENT

Charlotte, a teacher at Forster Park Primary School in the London Borough of Lewisham, took part in creative:connection, our programme that brings together disabled and non-disabled children.

“The project was stop motion animation. It was all about the mixing of [students from our school and Greenvale School], making connections with each other, enjoying creating their visual artworks together and having that sense of belonging.

“Our pupils got along fantastically. They were very patient and very accommodating. They’ve taken those skills away too. They can be very patient with each other and accommodating of everyone’s needs.

“We’ve got one child in particular who really struggles to stay in his classroom. Yesterday he had the best day ever. He did all his work, he stayed in class, he became a helper for the teacher and everything. All because he’s learnt things from these [workshops]. He’s become a lot more considerate within the classroom. He is able to let other people have a turn. And he’s been sitting for periods of time.”

Developing Essential Skills Through Creative Arts

environment:matters is our environmental project with schoolchildren who have special educational needs. We spoke to teacher Serena about the project that took place at Haymerle School. This was designed to upskill and empower the children through music.

“The independence skills and the [children’s] engagement and focus has been the biggest development. It’s been amazing seeing them. For example, some children only came for two minutes the first week, and then were there for 20 minutes eight weeks later. That is a massive improvement for our children. This might normally take months or years for them to do. It was pretty impressive.

They worked really well together and it was nice seeing relationships develop.

“Even the bickering and arguing was nice to see, as it’s a very neurotypical thing to bicker. And they were appreciating each other’s work and praising each other at the exhibition, which was just lovely.”

We would like to thank Kusuma Trust for funding this creative:connection project and BNP Paribas for funding environment:matters.

Create shortlisted for Mental Health Awards

Posted on July 15, 2024 by - News, Blogs

Create shortlisted for Mental Health Awards

I am delighted to announce that we have been shortlisted for the Mental Health and Wellbeing Awards 2024.

Our creative:voices programme has been shortlisted in the Innovative Proactive Wellbeing category, which is designed to celebrate innovative wellbeing interventions or activities that have had a positive impact over at least two years.

creative:voices is Create’s multi-artform programme that offers adult carers the opportunity to take a creative break from their responsibilities, foster trusting relationships, and cultivate new skills, interests, and confidence. Each project empowers carers to explore their creativity and self-expression through high-quality creative arts workshops led by our professional artists. They are given a chance to meet others and boost their mental wellbeing through music, dance, painting, photography, drama and a host of other artforms.

The impact of caring on mental health

Adult carers provide unpaid care for a family member or friend who is ill, frail, disabled or has mental health or addiction problems. The impact of caring goes beyond “just” a commitment of time and energy: many carers also experience social isolation and believe that their physical and emotional health has been negatively affected by their responsibilities.

Carers in Manchester getting creative.

A 2023 Carers UK report on carers’ health found that a significant proportion of carers said their mental health has been affected by caring: 79% of carers feel stressed or anxious, 49% feel depressed, and 50% feel lonely. 61% of carers said they needed more support to be able to look after their health and wellbeing.

“Projects like this help carers with our mental health. They give us somewhere to go. There’s a lot of fear. You don’t really know what we’re suffering because we’re all in houses by ourselves. We’re all in isolated little pockets, so unless we come together, we don’t know what’s happening for other people.” – Adult carer Renee

Improving mental wellbeing through the creative arts

The positive impact of creativity and arts engagement on mental health and overall wellbeing has been firmly established by decades of research. In 2019, the World Health Organisation reported that 3,500 studies had shown the widespread health improvements that came from arts engagement, from neurological disorders to child development.

We designed creative:voices to alleviate feelings of isolation and enhance mental health and wellbeing, enriching carers’ sense of belonging in their community and increasing their confidence in themselves and their abilities.

“I enjoyed the project and found it therapeutic. It always brightened my day when I came here. You don’t know what creativity you have until you try it.”

Adult carer Lia

We piloted the project in 2011 with Carers Lewisham. The pandemic highlighted as never before the inequalities and isolation faced by adult carers and, thanks to a significant three year grant in 2022 from the Comic Relief/Walkers Smiles Fund for projects improving mental wellbeing, were able to expand creative:voices to nine services that year. The programme has continued to expand: projects with 18 services are being planned for 2024/25.

We are thrilled that the creative arts are being recognised as a powerful tool for enhancing mental wellbeing through this shortlisting of creative:voices.

“The sessions always bring out the better version of me. It affords me the “me” I crave. It is time used to realise my abilities with my caring role. I thoroughly enjoy being in the company of other carers and I can share without being judged.” – Adult carer

Nicky Goulder, Founding Chief Executive

Summer Reading Challenge brings creativity to children across Britain

Posted on July 12, 2024 by - News, Blogs

Summer Reading Challenge brings creativity to children across Britain

Create is delighted to be partnering with The Reading Agency for this year’s Summer Reading Challenge, which aims to fire up children’s imaginations and unleash creativity through the power of reading.

The Challenge launched on 22 June in Scotland and online and 6 July in England and Wales, during Create Week. Create worked closely with The Reading Agency to develop the theme for this year’s Challenge – ‘Marvellous Makers’ – and we’re very excited to see children across the country exploring their creative side this summer.

The annual Challenge, which aims to inspire children aged between 4-11 to read for fun over the summer holidays, is delivered in partnership with public libraries, and it’s free to take part. From June to September, children taking part in ‘Marvellous Makers’ can discover new stories, join in with free activities at the library, and explore their creativity – from junk modelling to music, dance to drawing and painting.  This year’s bespoke illustrations are created by celebrated illustrator Natelle Quek. Taking place in libraries and online, the Summer Reading Challenge provides the perfect opportunity for active minds to explore, imagine, and create in a supportive and engaging environment.

This year’s ‘Marvellous Makers’ theme will inspire children’s inner storytellers, motivating them to be curious and to tell their own stories through various creative outlets. As part of the partnership, Create’s artists have developed seven creative activities involving different artforms that children can engage with wherever they are and become ‘Marvellous Makers’ themselves.

Nicky Goulder, Founding CEO of Create, said: “This year’s Summer Reading Challenge is a fantastic opportunity to bring creativity to young people across the country. People need to create, and everyone deserves access to the life-enhancing power of the creative arts. ‘Marvellous Makers’ brilliantly combines the joy of reading and the wonder of creativity, providing young people with new opportunities to express themselves. We couldn’t be more excited to be part of it.”

Create Patron and Summer Reading Challenge Champion Isy Suttie

Leading names in the creative arts are supporting the initiative as Challenge Champions including actor, TV presenter, musician and author Jordan Stephens, Welsh Laureate and children’s author Alex Wharton, and our very own Create Patron, comedian, actress, and author Isy Suttie.

Speaking about the Challenge, Isy Suttie said: “I was incredibly chuffed to be asked to become a Summer Reading Challenge Champion. Reading has always formed the backbone of my life and I believe passionately that it does wonders for us as humans to be truly absorbed in a book – one of the reasons being a Create Patron is so important to me. A book you adore can provide excitement, solace and strength.”

The Summer Reading Challenge aims to prevent the “summer dip” learning loss many children experience over the holidays when they aren’t in school. In 2023, over 685,000 children across the UK participated.

Karen Napier, CEO of The Reading Agency, said: “The Summer Reading Challenge sparks children’s creativity and imagination through reading. Developed with Create, this year’s ‘Marvellous Makers’ theme will inspire kids’ inner storytellers and makers. We’re thrilled to work with libraries to provide an engaging environment for exploring new ideas through books and activities.”

Find out more about the Summer Reading Challenge

21 YEARS OF EMPOWERING PEOPLE TO DREAM

Posted on July 7, 2024 by - Blogs

21 YEARS OF EMPOWERING PEOPLE TO DREAM

Yesterday, 7 July 2024, Create turned 21 and officially came of age.

Although much has changed since 2003, my vision on starting the charity – of a world in which everyone has access to the educational, social and life-enriching benefits of the creative arts – has stayed the same. So too has the charity’s mission:  of using the creative arts to connect, empower, inspire and upskill society’s most disadvantaged and vulnerable people, raising aspirations, building self-esteem, reducing isolation and enhancing wellbeing.

I’m proud that, since founding Create, we have delivered 14,797 workshops that have brought joy, skills, inspiration, connection and wellbeing to 46,382 of the most disadvantaged and vulnerable children and adults across the UK. That’s equivalent to a convoy of 533 packed double decker buses!

Our 20th anniversary year has been a year of festivities, important developments and achievements. We celebrated our 20th birthday with a special event for our people; and produced a short film looking back on 20 years of creativity. It’s good to know that whilst so much has changed in that time, my face looks just the same!

One of my highlights has been launching programmes with two important new groups of participants: children looked after/ care leavers; and survivors of modern slavery. Seeing survivors’ incredible artwork displayed on the Piccadilly Lights screens in Piccadilly Circus to coincide with Anti-Slavery Day on 18 October 2023 was an emotional moment for us all, powerfully reflected by the participant who told us:

I AM MORE CONFIDENT AND FEEL PROUD THAT I CAN CALL MYSELF AN ARTIST!

– cREATE PARTICIPANT

Another was our ‘Feeding Creativity’ campaign with Jacksons of Yorkshire, which launched on three million loaves across the UK in July 2023. As part of the campaign, we ran a nationwide poll, which gave us further evidence for the importance of Create’s mission. 93% of Brits surveyed said that creativity is important to their wellbeing, while 28% and 27% respectively said that lack of inspiration and insufficient money were barriers to creativity. And that’s where Create comes in, providing free, professionally-run creative arts projects with those who need them most.

Through Jacksons’ sponsorship, we were able to run projects with young carers in four different locations, building on our extensive programme – first developed back in 2007 – with this group of selfless young people. We were delighted that this work was recognised with a prestigious Children & Young People Now Highly Commended award in November 2023.

Following the launch of our Manchester hub in 2021, we continued to expand our work across the North West and beyond, delivering more than 300 workshops from the hub during the year. One very special moment was our creative:connection music showcase at Manchester Central Library in October 2023. This gave 57 disabled and non-disabled young people the opportunity to share new music that they had created together earlier in the week with a group of our professional musicians. Part of Manchester Literature Festival, their stunning performance featured on BBC Radio.

Our 20th anniversary year came to an end with the launch of two important new initiatives that we have designed to shine the spotlight on the importance and value of creativity. Create Week took place from 1-7 July as a catalyst for individuals and organisations who are passionate about creativity to raise awareness of the benefits of the creative arts. We shared creative activities designed by seven of our professional artists. And it was inspiring to see so many individuals and organisations enthusiastically engage with our campaign, sharing their stories and highlighting why creativity is vital to their lives and communities.

On 2 July, we launched Create Conversations, our new series of talks conceived to spark meaningful discussions on the role of creativity in society. The first was focused on the importance of improving access to the creative arts and it was a privilege to explore this crucial topic with Jordain Edwards, Nicola Kemp, Caroline Mair and our Patron, Nicholas McCarthy.

I’m delighted to see a growing awareness of the unique and valuable benefits that creativity brings for both individuals and wider society. People need to create, and this is becoming more widely understood as the evidence for the impact of creativity continues to grow. The creative arts empower lives, offering hope, inspiration, skills and connection to others. And here at Create, we firmly believe that access to creativity is a fundamental right, not a privilege.

I am proud of the passion, commitment, drive and energy that our incredible staff team has shown over two decades. I am inspired by our pool of inspirational professional artists who deliver our workshops. I am delighted that year after year, 99% of our partner organisations have rated their Create programme “successful overall”. And I am humbled that our work has been recognised with 124 awards since 2012, including Charity of the Year (2020) and Digital Transformation of the Year (2021).

Above all, I am thankful to the incredible children and adults that we work with, who inspire and motivate me every day. As our Youth Ambassador, Abi, told me:

“Creativity lets me dream”.

MEET CELIA A CREATIVE:ENGAGEMENT PARTICIPANT

Posted on June 27, 2024 by - Stories

MEET CELIA A CREATIVE:ENGAGEMENT PARTICIPANT

creative:engagement is Create’s multi-artform project with older people with dementia or poor mental health, supported by Ashurst volunteers. The project aims to build skills and confidence, giving participants a chance to express themselves, connect with others and enhance their overall wellbeing.

Between June and September 2023, participants took part in a series of visual art workshops with Create artist Liz Jackson.

Celia (71) has taken part in several Create projects. We spoke to her about what they mean to her.

“What I like about Create, and why I have begged to continue coming here, is because I live on my own. So, it’s nice to come here with a group of people and get to know others.

“Today we’ve been working on weaving – either paper, material or fabric weaving. Some of us have used a combination of materials in order to produce something. But during my visits [to create projects] over the past 18 months now, we’ve done photography, ceramics, jewellery making, fimo clay. I’m not great at any of them, but I enjoy it all. And as far as I’m concerned, you can always learn new things. You can always develop. I like playing around with things and also seeing how well other people do with it.

“I quite enjoy watching others develop their ideas. It’s great fun to be able to do that with other people. We are bouncing off each other and seeing things we hadn’t thought of doing or trying. So, there’s very much this element of working together, creating and chatting that I enjoy.

“For me, it is very important to be able to create. I end up picking up skills and trying out something that I wouldn’t have tried out at home. And it’s great because I don’t have to be an expert at it. We have some information and loads of choices in terms of materials, so we can be creative in the way we want to be. There’s no competition. We have people who advise us, but we can just go with it and enjoy ourselves.

“Create allows people, many of whom don’t have other outlets, to come together. It’s really quite nice working with and making friends with them. I really enjoy that.”

creative:engagement is a partnership with Ashurst. Employees support the project, working creatively with the participants and building supportive relationships.

CONVERSATION WITH CREATE WRITER CHERYL MOSKOWITZ

Posted on June 27, 2024 by - Stories

CONVERSATION WITH CREATE WRITER CHERYL MOSKOWITZ

Image credits to Children’s Poetry Summit

To celebrate Create Week, we spoke to Create’s professional writer Cheryl Moskowitz about the profound impact of nurturing one’s creativity.

Cheryl has a background in writing, drama and psychology, and has been working as a Create artist for 20 years.

A recent study by Linearity revealed that 40% of people feel they need more tools or resources to tap into their creative potential. Our conversation with Cheryl unveils a different perspective, however, showcasing how unlocking your imagination is often about mindset rather than materials.

WHAT DOES CREATIVITY MEAN TO YOU?

We are at our most creative when we don’t have everything we need around us and so we find resourcefulness within ourselves.

Cheryl Moskowitz

“A child’s play is so creative, because they haven’t got a everything they need. And through play they can make the world that they have in their imaginations.

“I think we all have questions in our imaginations and we also have experiences that we’ve had that we need to play out again and again to work out why they were so disturbing or exciting or exhilarating. So, creativity is where you recreate a world or experience that you’re still working out, that you can’t let go of. And that for me is at its heart, a life force. It’s what we need to do. We need to be creative in order to live well. And so, creativity is at the heart of wellbeing.

“I know what creative activity does for me as a person and how my art is both something which is a way of getting to a deeper place of knowing myself for myself, and it’s also a way of communicating something more essential and important to others.”

WHAT ARE ARTIST SHARING DAYS?

Whilst a member of Create’s Creative Council, Cheryl pioneered the concept of Artist Sharing days. These innovative gatherings allow artists and project managers to collaborate, exchange insights, and refine their facilitation skills, fostering a deeper connection and understanding within our creative community.

“I suggested the Artist Sharings as a way to create a forum for [Create artists and project managers] to come together. The things we do as artists and facilitators are often so hard to define. There are no real training programmes out there that teach you how to be an artist, or teach you how to be a facilitator. We learn by participating and by being in the presence of someone who has an effect on us.

“Create has artists working with lots of different participants and bringing in lots of different ideas and ways of working, so it felt tantalising to come together and learn from each other. And I think some of the Create workshops that I’ve enjoyed doing most were the cross-artform ones, where we got to cross paths a little bit with one another. So it just seemed to me to be an obvious thing. We’re all such a rich resource we all want to expand our own way of thinking and working. And it’s a really wonderful thing.”

MEET saba, AN ADULT CARER FROM manchester (carers week)

Posted on June 10, 2024 by - Stories

MEET saba, AN ADULT CARER FROM manchester (carers week)

This Carers Week, we are shining a spotlight on the 5.7 million unpaid carers across the UK, whose dedication often goes unnoticed. Despite their vital role, only 32% of these carers can access a break whenever needed, as highlighted by research from Carers Trust.

At Create, we recognise the importance of respite for carers. That’s why we developed creative:voices our programme, which offers adult carers a chance to step away from their responsibilities and immerse themselves in creative activities. creative:voices enables carers to build trusting relationships with their peers, develop communication skills, discover new interests, and boost their confidence.

For six weeks in September and October 2023, carers from Manchester took part in ceramics workshops with Create’s professional artist Rebecca May. 

Saba told us about her experience.

SABA’S caring story

“I care for my children. Both my children have got special needs. The major care is for my son because he’s diagnosed with autism. My daughter is on the spectrum, but she doesn’t need that much support. But my son … it’s really hard.

“My caring responsibilities have affected my lifestyle a lot because all the time I’m worried and thinking about my children. And I’m doing every little thing for them because they can’t do everything for themselves. So, I have to overthink. I’m totally occupied. My brain is totally occupied, thinking all the time, day and night.

“Coming here … it gives me a break from that.”

THE IMPORTANCE OF CREATIVITY

“I’ve taken part in the ceramics workshop with Create. I played with natural clay and Jesmonite. It was so creative and it formed very beautifully. With just natural and simple things you can create something so amazing and you come close to nature. It’s so valuable.

“And it makes you feel so good. All the time we’ve got so much pressure in our heads. I think that released.

You’re not thinking about your problems, you just forget everything and you put all your mind into creating something. It makes you feel outstanding.

“I have learnt a lot about myself. I was always feeling that I’m not doing much in my life. But when I created something, I felt that I’ve got so much talent in me which I did not know. I really felt very confident in creating those beautiful pieces.”

CONNECTING THROUGH CREATING

“The group was excellent. All of us were carers and we all have our own issues, but when we came together creating something, there was a very positive vibe amongst the group. And socialising is not so easily accessible for carers. I really enjoyed it, because we hardly get an opportunity like this.

“And I think it gave a lot of confidence to everyone because everybody was appreciating each other. I’ve enjoyed the appreciation that I got. I couldn’t believe that I could create such beautiful pieces myself. There was a lot of positivity in the group because everybody was creating something really amazing.”

This project is funded by The Smiles Fund, awarding funds from Comic Relief.

MEET ANAYA, AN ADULT CARER FROM LAMBETH (carers week)

Posted on June 10, 2024 by - Stories

MEET ANAYA, AN ADULT CARER FROM LAMBETH (carers week)

Carers Week is a time to recognise and celebrate the selfless work of unpaid carers who dedicate their lives to supporting others. In honour of this special week, we want to share stories from creative:voices, our multi-artform programme designed to provide adult carers with much-needed creative breaks from their demanding roles. creative:voices not only offers a respite for carers, but also fosters the development of trusting relationships with peers, enhances communication skills, and nurtures new interests and confidence.

Recent statistics from Carers Trust reveal that more than one-third (36%) of respondents reported an increase in their caring role by 20-49 hours a week. Even more striking, one-in-eight respondents (12%) experienced an increase of over 50 hours a week. Despite their tireless efforts, only 55% of unpaid carers say they receive the support they need to fulfil their roles effectively.

Between October 2023 and March 2024, carers from Carers’ Hub Lambeth participated in a macramé workshops led by Create’s professional artist, Sam Haynes. These sessions provided a sanctuary for carers to explore their creativity and find solace amidst their busy lives. Anaya, one of the participants, shared her experience with us.

ANAYA’S caring story

“I’ve got two children who have autism. One is a bit more severe than the other and is in a special education school. I’ve been caring since they were born, so it’s been eleven years. Because of autism, I have to have a routine. I can’t just get up and do things that a [non-carer] parent could do. So, my life is very much revolved around them. It’s very limiting on what you can do. You can’t often do the things you want to do.

“I think the challenges [being a carer] are getting the correct support. And getting respite. You don’t get a lot of respite. You don’t get alone time. You’re doing it 24/7. Literally.”

FEELING FREE THROUGH CREATING

[Being creative] just feels free. You don’t get this space at home so it’s nice to feel free to do whatever you want.

And to do whatever that looks like with no judgement. It gives you space to breathe. You’re not thinking about the routines or the cleaning or organising the cooking. It’s just your space to be completely free.

“I’ve loved it. I’ve had my space every single week for me. I’ve met nice people and I’ve learnt about myself as well, actually to let go. [Create’s artist] Sam said something that stayed with me when we did the tiling. She said ‘don’t think about it’. I had already pre-planned in my mind what I was going to do, but I felt quite limited. And I felt that my best art came from what she said about letting yourself go and being free with your art. And that’s what’s helped me.

“I felt quite accomplished because I’ve seen it all through ‘til the end. And it’s a really good feeling. Taking the art home has been the best feeling.”

This project is funded by The Smiles Fund, awarding funds from Comic Relief.

Meet ASTRID AND Wren, young carerS from BURY

Posted on May 28, 2024 by - Stories

Meet ASTRID AND Wren, young carerS from BURY

Since establishing Create’s Manchester hub in 2021, we have expanded our programmes across the North West of England, with 21% of all Create projects now taking place across this region. During the 2024 February half term , Create artist Ben Mellow led an inspired:arts drama project with young carers in Bury.

This provided young carers with a valuable opportunity to take a break from their caring responsibilities, have fun, learn new skills, build relationships, and express themselves creatively.

We spoke to Astrid (10) and Wren (9), who participated in the project.

astrid

“I started being a young carer at the end of 2022 for my mother with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome. My dad has autism and ADHD. I help my mum and learned self-care from a young age. My life is different because my mum’s disability limits outings. When younger, other kids went places with parents, and I wondered why I couldn’t have that. I get anxious when separated from my parents and worried about going far from home.

“It was good to do something creative because I’m not creative. [During the Create project] we’ve been learning the performing arts and we’ve created images on stage. I enjoyed learning about what it’s like being at a theatre. I felt quite comfortable on the stage doing the acting because I felt safe and in the space with all our friends.

“I think these projects help young carers because they get you out of your comfort zone, and they help you try different types of art and performances. It’s good to do because some people can find something new that they like or find a new skill that they might have been hiding. And it’s fun to meet other people as well. I learnt that I can be more comfortable around people and more comfortable asking for things and asking questions.”

wren

“I started being a young carer when I was seven because my mum and my brother need quite a lot of support. My mum can’t do stuff by herself, and my brother has [severe] autism. Once I was off school for a week because I had a really bad stomach ache about how my mum was going to cope with my brother. I don’t normally do things like this because I get separation anxiety away from my mum, due to how much she struggles.

“[Projects like this] help young carers. We get to meet new people that we may have never seen before and express ourselves and our feelings. This week we’ve been working together as a team and we worked on the loop station to create soundscapes. I’ve enjoyed that we get to meet new people. At first it was bit nerve wracking, but as time went on it just got a bit easier. I started off not really understanding how to communicate with other people that I’ve never met, but then I got better and better with communicating. The [rest of the group] were really nice and were really fun to work with. They came up with really good ideas.

MEET LARISSA, A FREE INSIDE PARTICIPANT FROM DURHAM

Posted on May 28, 2024 by - Stories

MEET LARISSA, A FREE INSIDE PARTICIPANT FROM DURHAM

Free Inside is our multi-artform programme working with women in prison. Each project provides the participants with a rare chance to be creative and express themselves while improving their social skills and wellbeing.

In March 2024, women in HMP Low Newton’s PIPE Unit took part in photography workshops with our professional photographer Alejandra Carles-Tolra.

Larissa, who has been in prison for 15 years, shared her experience of the project.

LEARNING SOMETHING NEW

“We learned about photography and used a digital camera to create photos. I’ve not done anything like this before. I didn’t realise there was more to a camera than to just point and shoot. But we used light, abstract, colours and shapes to create photos. I understand now there’s more than a click and a flash to a camera.

“I wanted to do the project as I’ve always had an interest in photography. I think photos are precious. To be able to have this opportunity after being in prison for so long has been fabulous. To actually hold a digital camera and to know you can create a picture that will tell a story is amazing.”

BUILDING CONFIDENCE

“At the start I was really unsure and I lacked confidence. Using the camera was challenging. I have been in prison for so long now and technology changes, so I wasn’t used to it. But now I feel more confident and more able to take creative lead. I am so glad I decided to push myself, as I enjoyed the whole experience and we were able to create some amazing photography. It’s been brilliant.

The best thing about the project was working as part of a team. We were a really good team. I’ve learnt that I can work in a group confidently and positively. And I can put myself out of my comfort zone.

THE POWER OF CREATIVITY

“Everybody should be able to be creative and find [their] own creative side (everyone has one!). The opportunity to find that is phenomenal. And now, oh my [goodness], I feel so happy! Amazed! Proud! It makes you feel free. To create the work we’ve made takes you away from prison. I’ve been in prison for so long – I’ve done 15 years and my first parole is not until 2038 – but doing this, you forget where you are. I never thought I would have this in prison.

“It’s important as it gives us an opportunity to come together and work as a team. And this is something we could pick up as a job or a hobby after we get out. Or something to give us a new community. It gives us confidence.”

An exhibition of photographs from the project is going on show alongside the one-woman theatre show, ‘Surrender’ at The Arcola in London (19/06/24-13/07/24) and the Edinburgh Fringe (08/24).

* Name changed to protect anonymity