Create supports the UK’s young and adult carers throughout the year with free access to high-quality creative workshops led by professional artists. For Carers Week 2015, we’re introducing you to some of the carers that we’ve worked with and how they’ve benefited from our programmes.

Ginny, 51, is an adult carer from Merton. She took part in Create’s programme to help adult carers use their own life experiences to inspired poetry and prose.

“The project caught my eye because I had all these thoughts, feelings and emotions that I felt people didn’t really understand. I thought it would be good to come along and share experiences with people who did. The day before the project started I telephoned to see if they had any spaces left – I had put it off for ages because I lacked the courage to do it earlier. Sometimes it’s hard to lift your horizons from day to day. My first caring responsibilities coincided with the breakup of my marriage: my daughter had a major psychotic breakdown. I was absolutely devastated. It was very difficult, having two things going on and having to support my son as well. I was the main breadwinner. I knew that something was wrong with my daughter but it suddenly went from bad to worse, from out-of-character behaviour to hearing voices, self-harm, thinking she was being poisoned or being watched by MI5/MI6. At my lowest moment I honestly thought, because I was so sleep deprived and I wasn’t getting any support, that it might be best if I killed myself and her to stop the suffering so much.

“once you’ve lost your sense of self, if you can’t carry on, what’s going to happen to the person you care for?”

ginny

“My daughter being admitted to hospital was the turning point. Nine months later she came home and the battle began. Ever since then I have been her main carer. We’re in it together, we call ourselves the A team and we have no secrets. She is doing really well at the moment. The workshops have been inspirational. I have been stunned by some of the work that the group has produced and these are just ordinary women like myself. It makes you want to carry on. I feel like every night now I have a new idea for a poem. I loved hearing about other people’s experiences too and the way they express things. You feel really humbled when you listen to others: everyone has come from different backgrounds, different places, different experiences and we’ve got this one thing in common.

“In a way Create’s programmes allow us to celebrate being a carer as well as saying, “Oh God, isn’t it rubbish?” We could never have done this without Cheryl [Create’s writer] and her expertise. She was always well prepared and knew how to get the best out of us. She encouraged us and gave us guidance on how to do it better. The amazing collective poem – that really sparked my creativity. I learnt so much. Even with our presentation at the end, I had never thought that you could read poetry and make it come alive with sound and the way you present it. It has been a steep learning curve but we never felt out of our depth, we never felt we were going to be laughed at. Create gave us the confidence to try.

“The project has definitely changed me: I feel more positive and I see everyday life differently. Negativity and bad experiences can be made into positive ones when you’ve got time to reflect. When you are writing, you are distanced from the immediate emotion so that gives you a bit of space. I now think: “I’m a carer, I’m proud of being a carer, this is what my experience is and actually I’m also a writer!” I may be an amateur, I may not be brilliant but I don’t care. I’d not done anything like this since primary school. It’s more relaxing than a leisurely bath because you’re getting your emotions out and, whilst you feel spent at the end of the morning, it’s good because things aren’t pent up. It’s also given me the courage to address issues with the person I am caring for: I’ve shared some of the poems with my daughter which has led to us having a much more open dialogue about things.

“Projects like this are essential for carers, especially now, when services are so strapped for cash. The cost of care would be much higher if carers opted out and said “I’m not doing this anymore.” Create told us, “Yes, you are valued and you have other talents to discover too”. This is really important, because once you’ve lost your sense of self, if you can’t carry on, what’s going to happen to the person you care for?”

GOLDEN GIRL

Yellow Mellow summer sunset illuminates the heart of my home and the Goddess in my kitchen. Halo of white, fluttering eyelashes framing golden amber eyes, soft against olive sun-kissed cheeks. Golden Girl, trembling flashing blade held in musician’s slim fingers. Razorlight, The Girl with the Golden Touch she says, ‘I would never hurt you’ My golden girl.

*name changed to protect anonymity

Create supports the UK’s young and adult carers throughout the year with free access to high-quality creative workshops led by professional artists. For Carers Week 2015, we’re introducing you to some of the carers that we’ve worked with and how they’ve benefited from our programmes.

Peter cares for his wife who has paranoid schizophrenia. He took part in creative:voices during February and March 2015, Create’s programme that enables adult carers to explore their self-expression through writing and collage.

“I’ve gone from a person that struggled to express myself visually to someone who feels completely comfortable with creating art.”

Peter

“The creative arts allow us to express ourselves. Everyone is able to do their own thing. In some spaces, I feel like I don’t know anything about art but by the end of the project we all felt like arts masters. The main thing that stops me from making art is the lack of opportunities. I just don’t normally get offered the chance to do something like this.

“Projects like these enable me to do the things that I would have loved to have done at school but never did. I’m going to use the skills that I’ve learnt with my little boy and create a few stories with him. Although my wife is also a writer and has been published, I’m looking forward to sharing with her some of the visual skills that I’ve learnt. I’d really like it if she was able to give some input into making what I want to do as well.

“I’ve definitely become more relaxed since taking part in creative:voices. I’ve gone from a person that struggled to express myself visually to someone who feels completely comfortable with creating art. I think my wife has noticed that I’m a lot more relaxed in myself now. I’m trying not to let everything build up and get on top of me. Now I’ve actually got an outlet and I’ve got some direction.”

*name changed to protect anonymity

Lila*, 11 years old, has been taking on caring responsibilities since she was 7. She was first referred to the local carers service by Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS). Lila cares for her dad who has Asperger’s, ADHD and dyspraxia and her younger brother has recently been diagnosed with ADHD.

“Although I like making sculptures and models, I don’t get the chance to go to art clubs after school because I have to look after my dad and brother.”

Lila

In Nottingham, Lila took part in Create’s workshops for young carers where they made 3D sculptures inspired by the local area. Their sculptures then formed the basis for the design of a large-scale public mural for the local shopping centre, intu Victoria.

“This is the first art project I’ve done with other carers. Although I like making sculptures and models, I don’t get the chance to go to art clubs after school because I have to look after my dad and brother.

“At school I feel much less confident in my own abilities. I always feel like I’m not doing it right. I never thought I was able to draw very well so always felt nervous about even trying. Create makes me feel good about my work and want to share what I’ve done. Before the project started I thought my art would be, on a scale of one to ten, about a two but now – I don’t want to be immodest – I think it would be a seven!

“I’m still a bit nervous about the unveiling of the mural. I’m excited for it to be there but I’m anxious about what people will think. I hoping my family will be really proud because I’ve got a piece of work out there. If I have children and it’s still there, they can see it too. The next thing I would love to do would be to learn how to play the guitar.”

*name changed to protect anonymity

Create supports the UK’s young and adult carers throughout the year with free access to high-quality creative workshops led by professional artists. For Carers Week 2015, we’re introducing you to some of the carers that we’ve worked with and how they’ve benefited from our programmes.

Kimberly* is a young carer from Newham. She has been caring for her mum since she was 8 years old. Kimberly’s mum has mobility problems and depression, but despite the difficulties she has in moving around, she has currently been housed in a flat with 28 steps to the front door. Kimberley has taken part in several Create projects, including inspired:arts in which she has the opportunity to dance on the stage in front of a sell-out audience at Sadler’s Wells.

“I like being creative but I don’t usually have the time. It always feels like I’m being pulled in a million different directions at once.”

Kimberly

“When I get home from school, I often have to start straight away with the cooking because my mum won’t be well enough to do it. Sometimes I’ll have had to carry heavy shopping home by myself. In the evenings, I struggle getting my mum in and out of the bath as she needs help moving around. I’m starting my GCSEs and it’s hard to fit homework around all of these things.

“It doesn’t help that we’re in temporary accommodation either. We’ve had to move six times in nine years so it’s really difficult to settle into an area. I struggle with having friends round because of our situation. All our stuff is packed up ready to move onto the next place at any moment.

“I like being creative but I don’t usually have the time. It always feels like I’m being pulled in a million different directions at once. It felt really good to work with the other young carers to create our own dance. I’m now much more able to try out my ideas in front of a group. I often suffer from a lack of confidence so this opportunity helped a lot.”

*name changed to protect anonymity

Create supports the UK’s young and adult carers throughout the year with free access to high-quality creative workshops led by professional artists. For Carers Week 2015, we’re introducing you to some of the carers that we’ve worked with and how they’ve benefited from our programmes.

Latisha* is a 15-year-old carer from Merton. She was identified as a young carer when she was just 6. Her mum damaged her spine in a road accident and has been in constant pain ever since so she requires help around the house. Latisha is one of many young carers that feels that there is a lack of awareness around the needs of carers and the toll it takes on them. She talks about losing a sense of herself when caring and forgetting who she is inside.

“I liked that Create’s project was all about my imagination. There was no one telling me ‘you have to do this’ or ‘you have to do that’. It gave us freedom.

“I made loads of animations with Create’s artists, one of dinosaurs, one with some moving objects, one with me and my mate doing sign language. I like the sign language animation the best because it’s showcasing my talent and one of my skills as a young carer. Not many young people can do it. I can tell people that I can do sign language but this video proves it.

“I also felt like I got loads done. I find it really difficult to concentrate in school, whereas I feel more relaxed in Create’s sessions. They give me more space to open up and be myself. When we were making the animations, I worked with another young carer, Laura*. I don’t usually work well with other people but this time it felt natural. I think it has something to do with the environment; I’m doing something that I actually enjoy. I wasn’t forced to come here. I came because I wanted to be here.

“Other young carers know how difficult it is. What I miss out on with my friends, I make up for with the young carers on Create’s projects.”

Latisha

“At home I don’t usually have the chance to be creative. I do my chores like cooking and that’s all there is time for. At school I only have one creative subject, Food Tech, and it’s really hard to be creative in it because my teacher is telling me exactly what to do every step of the way. I don’t have any creative hobbies at the minute, apart from baking. I really want to open my own bakery one day called Delightful Desires so every Friday I try to sell my cakes at school. I’ve nearly finished designing the logo.

“I like being creative and would love to go to more galleries and gigs, but being able to get out is the hard thing. On projects like these, the other young carers know what it’s like. When my other friends ask me to come out, I’ll usually say ‘No because I have to look after my mum.’ They eventually stop asking. They don’t really understand.

“Other young carers know how difficult it is. What I miss out on with my friends, I make up for with the young carers on Create’s projects. If I wasn’t a young carer, I wouldn’t have some of the friends I have now, so I’ve got to think about it in positive way. If I wasn’t a young carer, I wouldn’t be doing this animation course. With Create, I’ve been able to do animation, song-writing, photography, sculpture, dancing. I wouldn’t have done any of these things I wasn’t a young carer and didn’t have Create’s support.

“I don’t think the general public are aware of the issues carers face. Some people don’t have a clue. I try to explain it to them but it’s easy for them to move on and forget when it doesn’t affect them. I don’t think they understand how much time we spent caring and how much we miss out on. And the toll it takes on us too. Some of us care for people with disabilities, others with mental illness, which is really hard. Even when you try to explain, you feel people aren’t listening.

“I think projects like these are really important because when you’re a carer, you can lose a sense of yourself. You spend all your time looking after someone else which means that you’re caring more about them and their wellbeing and forget about your own. You can forget who you are inside.”

*name changed to protect anonymity

In February 2015, we were delighted to extend the reach of our art:space project to North East Somerset thanks to funding from British Land.

art:space, one of our cross-arts programmes for young carers, gives young people with caring responsibilities the opportunity to take some time out from their home-life to explore their creative talents with others. Through creative collaborations, the workshops develop the young carers’ confidence, self-esteem and interpersonal skills.

During February half-term, we worked in with young carers from Carers’ Centre Bath and North East Somerset, in collaboration with SouthGate Bath, to produce a short film with a live soundtrack. Brimming with ideas for their mini-movie, the young people worked together to come up with a plot, deciding on an action-based story inspired by video games.

The young carers developed their acting and camera skills with the help of our filmmaker Aoife Twomey, shooting many of their scenes – including an impressive acrobatic fight – on location at SouthGate Bath. They then edited their film with special effects inspired by classic video games including Street Fighter and Super Mario.

Guided by Create’s professional musicians Aga Serugo-Lugo and Alvin Ryan, the young carers then composed a soundtrack for their film, combining styles as diverse as classical music and hip hop. Their film was then screened to a captivated audience at SouthGate Bath, accompanied by their live rendition of the film’s score.

Owen (not his real name) aged 16, is one of the young carers who took part in the project. He cares for his elder brother who is blind and his mother who suffers from depression and chronic pain. Owen first visited BAINES three years ago. Here is his story:

“When I was younger, my mum was a district nurse. She had to leave at five in the morning but always left us a packed lunch each day. My eldest brother has albinism and is registered blind, so I have to guide, cook and clean and do other little bits to help.

“My sister left at 12 because she couldn’t take the home environment; there was a lot of pressure, a lot of tension and anger. My mum developed a back problem when I was about twelve years old. It progressed until a doctor told her she couldn’t work anymore and she now suffers from depression and constant pain. My brother and I were left to go through the teen years alone and it was tough, I have only just realised that. But like everything, my home life has its ups and downs and you have to make the best of what you’ve got.

“My advice to other young carers would be to find a place to go and talk to someone. Don’t be scared. I was nervous at first but I did it. A guy from Carers’ Centre Bath and North East Somerset comes to my house and sends me letters letting me know what’s going on. I know if it gets to the point where I’m feeling low, I just have to phone them up and they’ll be there for me.

“I like to be creative but I don’t often get creative opportunities like this. I can draw at home but if I wanted to go out and record a film, I wouldn’t have access to the equipment and, although I had tried filmmaking before, I didn’t have the opportunity to look at different camera shots or experiment with new techniques like I have done here.

“When we began the project, we all had different ideas but, since we had SouthGate Centre to use as a filming location, we decided on one that was just a group of friends going out to town. With every team there are moments. The difficulty working with other young carers is that we all have something which can cause tension or drama with other people. But I really enjoyed working with such a motivated group of people.

“It was really nice to explore making music because I’ve never had the chance to try it out before. Being in this environment with musicians who are friendly and have a laugh with you really encouraged me to try new things and expand my skills and knowledge.

“Creativity helps me to think positively, just getting on with music and doing something I like doing improves my mind-set. Knowing that you’ve created something gives you a nice feeling. I felt a lot of pride when making the soundtrack; pride and a feeling of accomplishment in saying, ‘Yeah, I did that.’”