Author: mike

Debbie from RBS Group volunteers at one of our flagship projects

changing spaces

Debbie from RBS Group volunteers at one of our flagship projects

changing spaces

Debbie works at RBS Group and volunteered for one of Create’s flagship CR projects, changing:spaces, at Lucas Vale Primary School.

changing:spaces combined participants’ creativity and imagination with the skills and energy of Create’s professional artist, writer and corporate volunteers to transform a bleak and bare four storey staircase within the school. First, the children at Lucas Vale Primary spent a week working alongside a writer and artist from Create to come up with designs for the four different levels: under the sea, a land of delights, the sky and outer space. They envisioned disco dancing animals under the sea; dragons warming the first floor with their fiery breath; silver unicorn sunning themselves on the second floor; and, on the top floor, sparkly planets and spaceships shooting off between the stars! The corporate volunteers, together with Create’s artist, then painted the staircase using the children’s drawings and ideas.

“When I first heard about the RBS group project to paint the Lucas Vale Elementary School, I wanted to participate, because I was sure it would make a difference for the children/teachers who attend that school, and I was happily surprised when I was able to do so despite the fact that I live in Paris and the school is situated in London. I immediately imagined myself painting the walls of the school from floor to ceiling (you know, up down, up down, that kind of movement with a big brush/roller – they said talent was not a prerequisite), and I admit that I was quite nervous when I found out that we were expected to recreate the children’s drawings on the walls. I don’t know how I missed that small detail.

Anyhow, your artists had done all of the preliminary work for us by the time we got there, and they advised us on colour choices etc., so it turned out to be quite a user-friendly experience after all. Also, the other volunteers were so much fun that I just went with the flow and ended up really enjoying myself.

Despite my evident shortcomings in the artistic painting realm, I would renew this experience if the opportunity were to arise again, because more children deserve to have a good laugh like the one these kids will probably have every time they see my jellyfishes and/or Alan’s mermaid in the stairwell that leads to their playground. I had great fun!!!

Thank you to all those who made the experience possible!”

art:space recognised with Business in the Community award

Nicky Goulder collects Business in the Community South East Local Impact award

ART:SPACE, PROJECT FOR YOUNG CARERS, RECOGNISED WITH PRESTIGIOUS AWARD

Nicky Goulder collects Business in the Community South East Local Impact award
Nicky Goulder collects the award at the BITC South East Awards Gala Dinner in 2013

Last Thursday, I attended Business in the Community’s (BITC) South East Responsible Awards Gala Dinner as a guest of our long-term corporate partner, British Land.  Indeed, British Land supported our first ever project Shake an Egg on 16 July 2003, just nine days after my vision for the charity became a reality, and we have worked in partnership ever since.

As we celebrate our 10th anniversary this weekend, what could be more fitting than such an exceptional, community focused company to win BITC’s South East Local Impact Award, Building Stronger Communities.  Since 2009, British Land has committed £150,000 to our art:space project for young carers, which has benefited 578 of these particularly isolated and vulnerable young people.

On winning the award, Joanne Hammond, British Land’s Charity and Volunteer Executive said, “We are absolutely delighted to win this award and this is a tribute to Create and all the carers who have demonstrated the impact of the arts in engaging with people and communities in a positive and fulfilling way.”

Nicky Goulder, Chief Executive

Arts and health award celebrates “a truly inspiring project”

rsph award

ARTS AND HEALTH AWARD CELEBRATES “A TRULY INSPIRING PROJECT!”

rsph award

Last week, Create was awarded a “Special Commendation” in the Royal Society of Public Health (RSPH) Arts and Health Awards 2013. I had the privilege of being presented with this by Stephen Clift (Professor of Health Education, Canterbury Christ Church University) at an event that celebrated creative arts in the criminal justice system. 

Key speakers also included Tim Joss, Chair of the Public Engagement Foundation and Tim Robertson, Chief Executive of the Koestler Trust. On handing me the prestigious award, Stephen Clift said, “The RSPH Arts and Health Awards Committee were unanimous in being very moved by the description of the work of Create with young fathers in prison. Not only were they helped by Create’s artists to write and illustrate stories for their children but Create helped the young men to develop the confidence and skills to read the stories to their children on prison visits.  A truly inspiring project!”

Create was one of seven organisations to receive a “Special Commendation” and Chief Executive of RSPH Shirley Cramer CBE said, “We applaud the work of these organisations. The perseverance, diversity and creativeness they have shown to improve health in these difficult and testing settings deserve recognition.  We believe that the RSPH Arts and Health Awards do just that and will help each organisation in their future pursuits.”

This award comes in a year in which Inside Stories was also recognised with five Koestler Awards. I am thrilled that the young fathers who work collaboratively to write, record and illustrate original stories for their children have had their creativity, dedication and commitment to their children recognised. As José told us, “I did Inside Stories because of my daughters and how much they mean to me.  I wanted to tell them how much I love them.” Nicky Goulder, Chief Executive

This article is from 2013.