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.