Author: mike

Interview: Create jewellery designer Hayley Kruger

Hayley Kruger
Hayley Kruger

CREATE JEWELLERY DESIGNER HAYLEY KRUGER

For eight years, jewellery designer Hayley Kruger has used her expertise and experience to inspire, motivate and encourage our participants to explore their creativity through jewellery design.

She has shared her knowledge with a diverse range of children and adults during this time including young and adult carers, vulnerable women and frail older people. Hayley has been working with a group of adult carers in Newham, as part of Create’s multi-artform project creative:release (this article is from 2015).

The carers, who all provide support for family members with long-term illnesses or disabilities, went with Hayley to visit the Victoria & Albert Museum’s “What is Luxury” exhibition, where they drew inspiration for their own jewellery designs. We recently sat down with Hayley, whose work has been exhibited at the V&A and featured in fashion magazines Vogue and Tatler, and asked her about her creative process, how she gets the most out of our participants, and the role the arts can play in society.

How old were you when you first started making jewellery? Could you talk a bit about your relationship to jewellery making when you were growing up and how it made you feel?

I have always been creative, from making clothes for my dolls to making clay beads from the soil that our house was built on, so I can’t remember the exact age, but I can remember doing this from about 10 years old. I was fortunate to have grown up in Southern Africa, so my influences in jewellery making come from the rich cultural jewellery that was worn and sold in the craft markets and on the beach front. I used to love these outings and still collect pieces made mostly by local women, which include woven grass bangles, vibrant seed beads collars and pendants, and brightly coloured wires being woven into rings, bowls and clothing panels.

What does jewellery making mean to you? Is there a therapeutic element?

Being a jewellery maker is part of my identity. From the first time I worked with silver and tools, I felt an elemental connection to the craft and the materials. There is very much a sense of being “in the moment” and escapism when you are creating jewellery. In moments when life is a bit chaotic, it is necessary to schedule in some making time, which is important for personal growth and as a form of meditation.

As a designer, where do you draw your inspiration from?

As mentioned previously, growing up in such a vibrant region as Southern Africa, the colours, culture and nature have subliminally been inspiring. I have lived in London for 20 years now, however, and the vibe, bustle, buildings old and new and of course the dynamic people who inhabit it are endless sources of inspiration.

For people who haven’t seen your work, could you describe your jewellery and the aesthetic of the types of things you like to make?

My designs have evolved rather a lot over the years. My most striking collections consisted of bold, statement costume jewellery made using vibrant suede and were designed to be worn by confident and sassy women making their own path in the world. I have now gone back to traditional jewellery making and work mostly on bespoke commission pieces in gold, silver and precious stones. I find this far more rewarding as it is less “fashion” orientated and more sentimental.

Why do you think engagement in the arts is important? What do you think the carers who take part in Create’s workshops get from creativity?

As discussed, there is definitely as sense of escapism when making and creating and it can allow the carers to transport themselves into a world beyond their daily lives. I can also give carers a way of expressing how they are feeling and give them ownership of something that is unique to them.

Do you think accessibility to the arts is an issue? What barriers make it difficult for adult carers to access the arts?

Many people find it hard to ask for help and may feel guilty for taking part in activities that take them away from caring. That is why carer organisations are vital local resources that can connect them to arts projects that they may not have been able to access.

How do you approach your creative:release workshops? How do you get the most out of the participants?

I try to teach the participants jewellery making skills that they can use to create “professional”, well finished pieces. This gives them a sense of achievement and pride as well as giving them a skill that they can inexpensively continue to use at home, either as a hobby or as a way of generating a little extra income for themselves or their communities.

Do you have memories of Create projects that particularly stand out for you?

Having had the pleasure of being involved in many projects with carers, I love seeing how their enthusiasm grows as they realise just what they can achieve. This has particularly been the case with the Newham adult carers who have been so responsive and came back for a second follow up project. I also saw a particularly good response when working with a group of mostly teenage boys, which is unusual as boys can be hard to reach. Whilst the group responded well to having access to metal working tools and copper, one participant evolved from a shy, quiet guy to the most chatty and enthusiastic maker in the space of a few hours. On the feedback form, he commented that we had got him to talk. That is the true power of creative expression.

What is it about working with Create that appeals to you?

You have a fantastic and organised team of project planners who are endlessly enthusiastic about all the groups and communities that you work with. You are also great at encouraging development and communication between the artists by running interactive sharing workshops that are always informative and fun. I have worked with Create for many years and hope to do so for many more.

Could you talk about any upcoming Create projects and what you’re most looking forward to?

Although we are yet to finalise plans for this project, I am particularly looking forward to working with carers in Kingston on designing and making fascinators and textiles jewellery pieces. I expect a riot of colour.

This article is from 2015.

Meet Matt

inside stories 2015
inside stories 2015

MEET MATT

Inside Stories is Create’s award-winning multi-artform project for offenders aged 18-25 in prisons across England.

During March and April 2015, prisoners worked with Create’s professional writer, visual artist and musicians to write and illustrate their own storybooks accompanied with a CD of music. The project culminated in a special visit day in which the prisoners had the opportunity to share their work with their families.

Matt is a young lifer who took part in the project. Whilst in prison he successfully engaged in numerous offending behaviour programmes and trained in Advice & Guidance, Peer Supervision and IT Course Mentoring. After 11 years in prison, Matt was released a few days after Inside Stories finished.

“the project has taught me how to listen to other people’s ideas and go with them.”

Matt

“When I first heard about this project, I thought we would just be getting together to write a story. It was only when I found out a bit more about the project that I started to look forward to it. I decided to get involved because I wanted to feel connected with my daughter.

“For my story, I came up with Super Susie, because my daughter is called Susie (not her real name). I don’t know where the flying egg character came from! I think I was trying to draw a mouse but the body looked like an egg so I turned it into one. My partner came up the idea to include a vegetarian tiger so we put the two together in the jungle. In the original story, Susie was trying to get home, but obviously that was too long so we had to cut it down. In the end, the tiger was looking for fruit to eat so Susie used her special powers to magic him up some fruit.

“I think the project has taught me how to listen to other people’s ideas and go with them. It’s also taught me how to put across my ideas without sounding too dominating. I don’t usually like talking in front of people, in groups. That was probably the hardest part for me but I surprised myself in that I managed it quite well.

“Projects like Inside Stories are important because you need to keep that family tie while you’re in prison. When the children start getting older and realise that their dad’s away all the time, it’s good for them to have a way to interact and keep that bond going.

“Writing this book has given me new ideas of ways to relate to my daughter. Susie’s only two-and-a-half months old, so I haven’t had much time with her. When she’s older and can understand, hopefully she’ll feel that because I took part in making the book, the book is important to her.”

Create Patron Esther Freud visits writing workshop

esther freud
esther freud

CREATE PATRON ESTHER FREUD VISITS WRITING WORKSHOP

Earlier this month, our Patron, writer Esther Freud, joined me on a visit to our new creativity:revealed project at Michael Sobell Jewish Community Centre.

This is enabling vulnerable older people – including Holocaust survivors, people with Alzheimer’s and people with complex physical and mental disabilities – to develop new friendships, creative and social skills; and helping to reduce isolation. Here are Esther’s reflections:

“It must be eight years since I first became a Patron of Create – a charity dedicated to bringing creativity into the lives of vulnerable and disadvantaged people. I was drawn to it initially by its commitment to ensuring schools still made space for creativity even when the pressures of the increasingly academic time-table made this difficult, and as a non-academic child myself, whose educational experience was saved by the abundance of art and drama in my school, I was immediately enrolled. But in the intervening years Create has branched out into many new areas – supporting and inspiring marginalised people from all sections of society.

“It now runs hundreds of projects across the country, and one of these currently taking place is creativity:revealed – at the Michael Sobell Jewish Community Centre in North London. The workshops are for vulnerable older people, and revolve around photography, poetry, sculpture and dance. The day I attended, a group of about fifteen were signed up to work on poetry. Create’s professional writer, Joanna Ingham, had already inspired them to write a series of poems about food, and today’s subject was going to be music. It took a while for the residents to assemble – some with dementia, others suffering the effects of strokes, the majority in wheelchairs, several with carers in attendance, and while we were waiting for everyone to settle, Joanna explained to me the challenges of working with such vulnerable people. After all memories can be painful, none of us know what these people have lived through, so a broad theme such as music is ideal.

“Their first assignment was to make some notes on what music made them happy. ‘Straus,’ said a birdlike lady, ‘it makes me want to waltz.’ Another woman had recently lost her husband, and was having trouble sleeping. The last piece of music she heard before she went to bed spun round and round in her head, but once pressed she admitted to loving Light Operetta, music from the 50’s and 60’s, and folk. ‘If Elvis was alive today,’– the man on her left told us, ‘he’d be eighty!’ And in homage he chose Jailhouse Rock. There was Jazz, Jewish music, a big orchestra to change the mood.

“When all the memories had been assembled it was time to begin writing. Joanna nudged them gently to consider the use of repetition – a refrain, or echo, like a piece of music itself. Soon everyone was hard at work. As with any writing group, and I’ve lead a few, there is something intense and magical that happens to the air in the room when everyone is writing. In this instance there were whispers: ‘Raindrops and roses … what else are a few of my favourite things?’ and in some cases carers transcribing muttered words. But by the end of the session there was no one who hadn’t created something beautiful – a condensed and joyful memory, with its own title. By lunchtime the various members of the group were ready to depart, each one with a small jewel of a poem that they could take away with them. I can’t think of a more enriching way to spend a morning.”

During the workshop, Esther wrote and presented her own poem to the group, inspiring and uplifting us all:

Swelling

Lilting

Lulling

As I stand in the kitchen

My hands wet from washing up

My heart elsewhere

I imagine fields of violins

Swaying

Singing

Bending

As they rush into the next stanza.

Where is it now? That dark double cd?

Lost on the shelves

Lost from my ears

But I still hear it.

Esther Freud is also contributing an article on “Writing and its Power to Heal,” appearing in the Autumn 2015 issue of Jewish Quarterly.

Nicky Goulder, Founding Chief Executive

This article is from 2015.

Young carers celebrate Carers Week 2015 with exhibition

Winchester young carers exhibition 2015
Winchester young carers exhibition 2015

YOUNG CARERS CELEBRATE CARERS WEEK WITH EXHIBITION

On Thursday 11 June 2015, young carers – and their families – from Winchester & District Young Carers attended the launch of their exhibition Let the Sun Shine on Me at Winchester Discovery Centre.

Let the Sun Shine on Me is a collection of stunning photographs that the young people produced with our photographer. Launched during Carers Week 2015, it celebrates their creative achievements and raises the profile of the issues they face. Funded by British Land, the project began with a series of workshops led by our professional photographer Alicia Clarke.

After exploring how to use high quality digital cameras, the young carers set off to photograph Winnall Moors and Whiteley Shopping Centre. Using their pictures as inspiration, they then worked collaboratively with our musicians Aga Serugo-Lugo and Emily Allen. Choosing sunshine and friendship as their themes, they wrote lyrics and music, which they later performed to a public audience in Whiteley’s town square.

“I liked that we were all able to listen to each other’s ideas,” said one of the carers, aged 14, “I don’t usually feel able to share things with people so that felt really good. I think we were all really nervous about performing in front of everyone but excited at the same time. I felt really proud of myself for taking part. I’m not that confident so being able to say that ‘I did that’ feels amazing.”

According to the most recent Census, the number of young carers in Hampshire rose by 24.5% between 2001 and 2011. Over two thirds of young carers are bullied at school and over 50% do not feel that they receive support, which makes Create’s workshops, which encourage teamwork, friendship and peer-to-peer support, so vitally important.

Also marking Carers Week, nearby restaurant Brasserie Blanc treated the young carers to a two course menu designed by celebrity chef Raymond Blanc. A spokesperson for the restaurant said, “We are delighted to be able to support Winchester’s young carers by donating a meal during Carers Week. Young carers miss out on a lot due to their caring responsibilities, so we are honoured to be in a position where we can treat them to something special. We wish them the best of luck with their exhibition at the Discovery Centre.”

Meet Ginny

carers week 2015
carers week 2015

MEET GINNY

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

Meet Peter

Peter
Peter

MEET PETER

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

Meet Lila

lila
lila

MEET LILA

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

Meet Kimberly

carers week 2015
carers week 2015

MEET KIMBERLY

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

Meet Latisha

young carers
young carers

MEET LATISHA – CARERS WEEK 2015

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

Interview: Create filmmaker Aoife Twomey on community storytelling

Aoife Twomey
Aoife Twomey

CREATE FILMMAKER AOIFE TWOMEY ON COMMUNITY STORYTELLING

Since 2014, professional filmmaker Aoife Twomey has been working with Create to bring film and animation workshops to a wide range of disadvantaged participants, from young people with disabilities to adults who are homeless. She’s enabled participants to boost their confidence, learn collaborative skills and express themselves through film.

Aoife talked to us about the power of everyday stories, how filmmaking can help build community and a special note she received from a young carer:

“Having access to creativity and play is so important for both young people and adults. Creativity provides much needed respite in people’s lives, and also an outlet to tell their stories in a safe place. Often the films we make on Create projects seem unconnected to participants’ stories, but through the workshops there are many opportunities for them to express themselves and this always makes it into the final cut in some way.

“One of the main barriers to people accessing the arts is confidence. Somewhere earlier on in life, people are receiving the message that they aren’t good at art – they can’t draw, for example. I love it when someone creates something amazing in my sessions and they say they never thought they could be creative.

“Creativity also brings people together. I always love lunchtime on my projects because, after all the ice breakers and working in teams, people seem more open and it’s here they feel most safe to share their story and find healing in being heard and accepted.

“Filmmaking is an incredible medium to work with in a community setting. It cuts straight to the heart of storytelling. People already know so much about filmmaking just by having watched films before and this creates a wonderful springboard into building confidence and positive learning experiences. With access to resources becoming easier, more people have the ability to make really good films. I love this about my work because I know people can transfer the skills they learn with me to making films on their phones and at home.

“I recently worked on an incredible project for Create, making a documentary with adults who are homeless and attend a drop-in centre in Deptford called 999 Club. I was so humbled by the experience of working with these men and women. We made sure there was space for their stories to reach completion fully and to show them that we were here to listen to their ideas, not to tell them what to do. I loved welcoming everyone as they returned each day (something we didn’t necessarily expect given their circumstances). I remember the day I didn’t even have to introduce the workshop; everyone just sat down at the computers and continued work from the day before. I think the participants gained a lot from the sense of achievement, from group work, from being valued within the group and from hearing each other’s stories.

“Create is an amazing charity to work for. The emphasis on getting it right for the participants is really special. As an artist I feel valued within the Create team, which is fairly unique. I love the Artist Sharing [Create’s six-monthly artist training event] and when asked to lead a session one year I felt honoured. As a freelancer it’s rare to find an organisation to feel so a part of and I feel really supported.

“I took an unusual path to working as a filmmaker. While doing a Masters in Community Arts Education, I completed a module on Digital Media for Social Change that introduced me to the power of film in storytelling and working in communities. I most admire the people working as self-shooting directors on a mission to uncover a human story, usually people I am working with on a project with or a director I’ve met at a small community screening. I believe in the power of storytelling from the bottom up, so I admire anyone who’s put the contributor in the driver’s seat and made an engaging film out of an everyday story.

“I have a card that young carers wrote for me after a Create project. One of them wrote: ‘Thanks for letting me in’. That made me realise the importance of the simple act of opening the door to people, welcoming them in, asking their opinion, giving them ownership. Some people struggle to find a place they fit, and I love that by the end of a filmmaking project people find somewhere within the process that they fit best.”

This article is from 2015.