a member of the get - home - bait · mighty oaks from little acorns grow. 7 where did it all begin?...

A member of the Get Together group gets

involved in the Rainbow’s End project.

Credit: Jason Thompson

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baittime.to/celebrate: issue 8 – Spring 2018

Page 4Mighty oaks from little acorns grow

Page 10Listen here

Page 12Stronger together

Page 14Finding gold at the end of the rainbow

Page 18Taking TURNS

4A change for the better

Page 22Art matters

www.baittime.totwitter.com/bait_timetofacebook.com/baittimeto

From April 2013 to January 2018, bait has worked with 225 partners to deliver 179 projects – that’s over 12,489 hours of activities, creating 126,187 moments for people to take part.

Front cover: A member of the Get Together group gets involved in the Rainbow’s End project.Credit: Jason Thompson

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baittime.to/celebrate!

Rachel Adam, Project Director, bait Credit: Sophie Sutherland

Welcome to the eighth edition of bait time to celebrate, in which we share stories and learning from across the programme in South East Northumberland.

Through all our projects and partnerships we are aiming to increase the number of people who take part in the arts. In this edition we highlight work with Action for Children (p4) who first got involved in a bait project in 2014 and have now secured resources to deliver their own arts programme across six children’s centres. This is an example of the cascade impact of the bait programme, now reaching many hundreds of families in the area.

Another part of our ten year mission is to ensure the programme is shaped by the ideas and creativity of local people. From the Ashes (p10) and Colour to the Grey (p24) are examples of 18 month long projects where people in South East Northumberland are centrally involved in making decisions.

We are also tracking the impact of the programme on people’s sense of wellbeing and to mark the third National Museums and Wellbeing Week we invited people to share their thoughts on Why Art Matters (p22). The impact on wellbeing is a recurring theme and is highlighted by people who have taken part in Rainbow’s End (p14) and in the TURNS project (p18).

The final part of our mission is about increasing the capacity within South

East Northumberland to sustain arts opportunities long term. One indication of success is the number of organisations which are now attracting their own resources for the arts (p12). Since 2014 eight organisations in the area have secured over £125,000 to commission and run their own projects. Some of these voluntary groups have formed as a direct result of the bait programme, while other long standing organisations have now embedded the arts into their wider work. Together, they are now all part of a growing infrastructure for the arts in South East Northumberland, creating new opportunities with local communities.

Rachel

Rachel Adam, Project Director, [email protected](01670) 624 475

Our ConsortiumOur Funders

bait works in partnership to support more people in South East Northumberland to create and take part in inspiring and high quality arts experiences. All projects aim to build a stronger future with the people who live here. bait is part of the national Creative People and Places network.

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Getting creative at Newbiggin Children’s Centre.Credit: North News & Pictures.

Turn the page to find out about a ground breaking new arts programme.

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We’ve all heard the saying that a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, but when bait asked Ashington Children’s Centre if they’d like to take part in an art project in 2014, little did the team know it would lead to them developing a ground breaking new programme in all of Central Northumberland Children’s Centres areas this year.

The journey began through a relationship between Gill Dorey, (the then) Children’s Services Manager and Lisa Blaney, Arts for Wellbeing Manager at bait. Both were passionate about engaging families in the arts and without their support it may not have started.

The artwork created by families and centre staff in Ashington Children’s Centre, which is run by Action for Children, with visual artist Patrick Murphy was seen by millions on BBC TV as part of the Great North Passion, and in the Bruised Not Broken exhibition at Woodhorn Museum. Since then, the partnership has grown from strength to

strength, with parents and staff at the centre gradually taking on a more active role and looking for ways to make projects more sustainable in the long term.

Arts for Wellbeing Manager Lisa Blaney explains, “bait works with local communities to create lasting change by giving more people the opportunity to take part in and experience the arts. Over the past four years, our partnership with Action for Children, and especially Ashington Children’s Centre, has meant we’ve been able to encourage and support staff and parents not just to take part, but to initiate and develop new projects - from trying out different artforms like typography, creative writing and photography, to choosing which artists they want to work with and themes that matter to local families. It’s been fantastic to see the way staff and parents at the centre have found a way to build on the expertise and skills already established so that even more families can benefit from taking part.” Now Central Northumberland Children’s Centres has been awarded Arts Council England funding to roll out an ambitious new programme to Action for Children centres in Ashington, Lynemouth, Newbiggin, Morpeth, Bedlington, Choppington and Pegswood.

We caught up with Senior Practitioner Julie Ayre and Children’s Centre Co-ordinator Lindsey Kirk at a family arts taster session in Newbiggin to find out more.

Above: Creative workshop at Newbiggin Children’s Centre.Credit: North News & Pictures.

Facing: BBC Great North Passion.Credit: Sophie Sutherland.

Mighty oaks from little acorns grow

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Where did it all begin?

Lindsey: The Great North Passion in 2014 was the start of it all, though I have to admit it was quite hard to engage parents with the project initially.

Julie: There were some parents who really got into it though, and it was our first engagement with some families who’ve been involved ever since. It was the first time a lot of children and their families had worked with a professional artist, and it was the start of us doing creative projects that involved children and their families as well as staff and their families who wouldn’t normally take part in something like that - being on the BBC is something we’ll never forget!

What happened next?

Lindsey: The following year, we decided we wanted to make the displays in the centre more family friendly, so we contacted Lisa at bait who suggested putting a brief out to find an artist to work with us. We asked some parents to help select a professional visual artist - Nicola Lynch.

Julie: Nicola engaged families who attended the Children’s Centre and Rascals Nursery, and she led sessions with staff too.

Lindsey: It went so well that we didn’t want Nicola to leave, so we worked with her again on a mosaic project for the garden at the centre. Parents helped out, which kept them interested and engaged, and staff made some mosaics as well so everyone was part of it; it made everyone appreciate it much more.

Were more groups at the centre keen to take part after that?

Lindsey: After that we introduced graphic artist Tommy Anderson to work with our dads group on a large scale typography project. We had an idea about updating the billboards in the car park and wanted to offer the group a chance to build on and learn new skills, to use visual art to portray Action for Children’s values from the male perspective and to attract the wider community to access the venue.

And did that lead on to trying different art forms?

Lindsey: Yes, Alice Meyers came in for a six month photography residency. Alice was based at Ashington Children’s Centre, and worked with families who attended learning together through play sessions, young parents, Rascals Nursery and Rascals Out of School club, and the crèche. Some parents were really keen, so Alice did a bit more in depth work with them - their photos then went into the exhibition at Woodhorn Museum and BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art, as part of the Common Ground project which was commissioned by bait and BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art.

Julie: The group then wanted to do something else with the photography skills they’d learned; our Early Help Locality Manager, Gill Dorey really pushed that forward.

Lindsey: We employed Phyllis Christopher to work with the group of parents on their photography skills. Artist and writer Stevie Ronnie got involved at this stage, bringing a creative writing element to the project with various groups - for example, children who attended Rascals Out of Schools club wrote different stories to go with the images. They’re all

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on display at the centre now.

Julie: One of the mums from that group, Irina Popescu, became a Creative Connector at bait, working across other projects at Woodhorn Museum and further afield.

Have you noticed a change at the children’s centre?

Julie: All the staff at the centre have been really accommodating and welcoming - the ethos and the culture at the centre is very welcoming and more open to being involved in arts projects.

Lindsey: We’ve loved being part it, it’s a great part of the job - having the funding to be able to provide projects like this is brilliant. It’ll give the community, the parents and the children more access to the arts.

Tell us a bit more about the new programme, Voice of the Child?

Julie: Action for Children’s work keeps the child at the centre of everything we do, ensuring all workers listen to children and their views, and Northumberland County Council have also highlighted the importance of listening to the voice of the child, so that’s really where the idea came from.

Lindsey: It’s a huge project for us, but it’s exciting to think what it’s going to lead to. We’re just at the taster stage now, then we’ll have a six month artist residency, then a final exhibition which we’re in discussion with galleries about hosting it, as well as within each centre so they can all see work from the other centres.

Julie:

“It’s much more led by the parents and the children this time, so that makes it more exciting to see what the outcome will be.”

Lindsey: We consulted with parents at all six children’s centres within the Central Nortumberland Children Centre area before we put the funding bid in, asked them about which themes they were interested in, what skills they wanted to learn, e.g. textiles. We then put together an artist brief based on what parents wanted to learn. We talked to parents at all six children’s centres, so we’ve developed it together which means that they’re much more likely to keep engaging and want to do more in future.

Julie: There’ll be some ‘Go and See’ visits to various exhibitions around the region as well to get people interested, and we’ve employed a brilliant programme manager, Claire Newton, who’s worked on big family programmes like the Juice festival in Newcastle Gateshead.

Lindsey: Action for Children were so impressed by the funding we secured from Arts Council England that they also put in £8,000, and Northumberland County Council are supporting the project as well. We really couldn’t do it without the support of our partners.

“Receiving funding means we can roll out the Voice of a Child programme across all of our areas, whereas they’d only had taster sessions before.”Early Help Locality Manager for Northumberland County Council Gill Dorey adds, “This idea developed when there were messages from our Safeguarding Board that the Voice of The Child was not heard as readily as it should be. I attribute the enthusiasm for this project to the trust that previous projects we have developed with bait have been enjoyed by those involved and that programmes will be successfully received by children and families. The Children’s Centre team and bait colleagues make it look easy but a lot of thought has gone into it - it is always heartening to see a project develop and grow when the consultation process has been well thought through.”

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2014 BBC Great North Passion: bait brought in artist Patrick Murphy to work with families at Ashington Children’s Centre; Bruised Not Broken exhibition at Woodhorn Museum.

2015 Exhibition at Ashington Children’s Centre: initiated by parents and staff who commissioned artist Nicola Lynch. For the first time, everyone at the centre was involved.

2016 Artist residencies programme: part of the Common Ground exhibition at Woodhorn Museum and BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art, commissioned by bait and BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art.

2017 Voice of the Child: Action for Children secured Grants for the Arts funding from Arts Council England to deliver an ambitious new programme in all six children’s centres in South East Northumberland.

Facing: Common Ground exhibition. Credit: Dan Alecks.

Above, top left: Bruised Not Broken exhibition. Credit: Jason Thompson.

Above, top right: Creative session at Ashington Children’s Centre.Credit: The Chronicle.

Above, left: Common Ground exhibition.Credit: Dan Alecks.

Above, right: Getting creative at Newbiggin Children’s Centre.Credit: North News & Pictures.

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Forget The Archers, Ashington could soon be getting its own radio soap opera made with local residents as part of a new creative project led by bait.

In summer 2017, creative producer Bridie Jackson spoke to more than 30 groups across South East Northumberland with an age range of 8-80 to find out what inspires them, which art forms they would be interested in exploring and who they’d like to work with. The main themes were that people wanted to share their stories and experiences of life in South East Northumberland through drama and creative writing. So bait ran taster sessions with stand-up-poet Kate Fox and Curious Monkey Theatre Company in Ashington, Bedlington and Newbiggin.

65 people came to the taster sessions, and afterwards Bridie asked people what they thought. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive:

Above and facing: Creative writing and drama taster sessions.Credit: Jason Thompson.

Listen here

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Another exercise during the feedback sessions was to think of a name for the project. One group came up with ‘From the Ashes’ implying building something from scratch, and a reference to the region’s mining past.

Lots of people said they were keen to combine different artforms - writing, performance and music for example, and that they wanted to try more improvising, acting and coming up with their own stories. From this, came the idea to create a community radio soap opera on Koast Radio - a local, volunteer run community radio station. Everyone has heard of soap operas and can relate to the stories, and participants could work with a professional creative team on the aspects that interest them, whether it’s building characters and writing scripts, working on a theme tune, performing or learning technical skills like recording and creating sound effects.

The next step in the project, involves the group appointing an artist to work with to make their ideas a reality. We chatted to Bridie to find out more.

Could anyone come along and take part?

Yes, the taster sessions were completely open access. An important part of the planning for this was to make sure that the artists involved were able to work in a really flexible way thinking on their feet and responding to the group and their interests, which they did superbly!

Were you surprised by how many people wanted to get involved?

I was surprised by the sheer number of people that turned up, and delighted by everyone’s willingness to take a risk and try something new. They were all so enthusiastic and supportive of each other – the diversity of ages (from 8 to 80!) was definitely seen as a positive thing by the group.

How important was it for local people to help choose the artists?

It’s crucial the people involved get a say, because they’re

the ones who are going to be working closely with the artist for the course of this project. It’s important to the group that they are able to find an artist who is keen to collaborate, really listen to them and appreciate their input and experiences. They also want to work with someone they can relate to and have lots of fun with - the need for a good sense of humour and empathy came up a lot in the feedback stage!

Can you tell us a bit more about how the artist will be chosen?

The selection process for this project is quite interesting. There’s been an open call for artists to apply, then shortlisted artists will be interviewed first by a small selection panel made up of people who took part in the taster sessions and are keen to be more involved in decision making.

The second stage is creative auditions, where each shortlisted artist will run a 20 minute session with people from the area, including young people from Hirst Welfare Youth Club, members of Newbiggin Genealogy Society, Ashington U3A, and lots of other people who took part in the taster sessions. As well as taking part, people will be invited to give their feedback on each session, which will then be factored into the selection panel’s final decision.

What do you think appeals to people about creating something together, as a community?

I think communities are stronger when there are shared spaces where people can collaborate, support each other and create things together. Also, I think learning new skills and having common goals can be an enormously bonding experience; things that creative projects such as this help to develop.

Following our interview with bait, From the Ashes has now appointed Curious Monkey Theatre Company to deliver this new project. For more information contact Bridie on 01670 620 274 or email [email protected]

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Escape Family Support

£13,400 (2016) Grants for the Arts

£5,000 (2017) Awards for All

Cramlington Community Arts

Project£12,200 (2016) Grants for the Arts

Bedlington Community

Centre

£1,740 (2016) Northumberland

Community Chest Grant


Bedlington Creatives


£2,000 (2017) Northumberland County Council

£8,000 (2017) Action for Children

Action for Children

£20,000 (2016) The Rayne Foundation

In development (2018)

Northumberland Recovery

Partnership£3,000 (2018)

Awards for AllHeart of Hirst

£12,752 (2016) Grants for the arts

In development (2018)

Northumberland Domestic Abuse

Service

Stronger togetherIn our Spring 2017 issue, we caught up with some of the partners bait and Northumberland CVA are working with, who are now attracting their own resources to sustain the arts in South East Northumberland. Since then, these partnerships have continued to thrive and more projects have been awarded funding which will make a real difference to local communities. We spoke to three of those partners to find out more.

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Heart of Hirst

In 2015, bait commissioned Andrea Hawkins to develop and deliver an arts and social energy project with residents and community groups in the Hirst ward, Ashington - one of the areas where Arts Council England research shows people are least likely to take part in the arts. The project included an artist residency with social documentary photographer, Mik Critchlow; a community development programme led by volunteers from the Heart of Hirst residents group; and a film project with local people led by contemporary visual artists, Walker & Bromwich.

Carol Brown, Group Chair of Heart of Hirst explains.

What difference has working in partnership with bait made?

Working with bait has opened so many doors for us; the group is doing what they love to do and helping to bring the community together. Since we started working with bait we have 100 new members, and five of them are active members who help in our everyday work. The group has got more recognition and other groups are contacting us to see if we will be involved in their events. We also have a working website which is updated by a local resident.

What impact has it had?

It has opened our eyes to what is on offer, like different art and crafts. We had never attempted a party in the park until bait supported our first one, but it was very well received and got excellent feedback. This made us realise that’s what we want to do more of in the future. Having received Awards for All funding, we can now put on four events this year (2018) - Easter, Summer, Halloween, and Christmas.

And what about the people you work with?

The group are on such a high when we have an event to organise and to see the community coming together makes it all worthwhile. For the first party in the park, we decided to have a fun dog show as Hirst park is very popular with dog walkers. The rosettes were made by local children and we had over 80 dogs and owners. If we had not been supported by bait to put on that first party I’m not sure if we would be doing them now.

Northumberland Domestic Abuse Service (NDAS)In 2016 Northumberland Domestic Abuse Service successfully bid for funding to work with Open Clasp Theatre Company and young people to raise awareness of sexual exploitation and where to go for support. They developed a script and performed a drama called The First Time is Free for year 9 students in secondary schools in South East Northumberland. Domestic Abuse Coordinator for Children and Young People, Maggie Martin told us about delivering the project.


Working with bait and its Wellbeing Manager, Lisa Blaney, has been brilliant for our organisation. bait has not only been the catalyst to developing strong partnerships which has led to a number of successful funding bids, but it has supported the application process, the project delivery and the evaluations. The team has a wealth of experience and creative ideas which has really benefited the project development. What impact has it had?

Stronger partnerships have developed between both community and statutory organisations. The success of the projects has put NDAS on the map and definitely got our organisation noticed. We have gained a positive reputation for good working practices and innovative ways of working.

The play portrayed young people’s views of what sexual exploitation looks like in Northumberland, enabling the audiences to recognise and acknowledge this was something that happened not only in big cities and towns, but right here in their villages and schools. And the script has been left with schools as a lasting legacy.


Using bait’s knowledge of the arts and linking our organisation up with other organisations has enabled us to bring young people’s knowledge into effective action to tackle and address pressing social issues that affect their long term mental health and wellbeing.

Northumberland Recovery Partnership (NRP)In 2016, Northumberland Recovery Partnership and bait commissioned North East artist and graphic designer, Tommy Anderson to deliver a two-year arts mentoring programme with clients in recovery. Tommy guided the group through a number of different artforms including photo montage, pop art illustration, macro photography, typography, collage and animation. The group also visited BALTIC Centre of Contemporary Art to explore the exhibitions. NRP Team Leader Sam Ruth and artist Tommy Anderson told us more.


Sam: It has given our clients opportunities to sample creative activities with a professional artist which they would not have the confidence to pursue alone. It has also enabled us to widen our timetable and engage recovery through the arts.

What impact has it had?

Sam: It has given us a greater understanding of the arts and how to implement these in sessions designed to help with client recovery at NRP.

Tommy: The arts programme has been really successful in engaging NRP clients – helping them to discover and enjoy the arts, and also achieve AQA accreditations.


Sam: Having a greater understanding of the arts has enabled clients to continue with their interest, and their confidence and wellbeing has increased.

Tommy: The workshops and cultural visits offer a relaxed environment for clients to talk about their recovery, to express feelings and emotions. Speaking with those who have taken part, it’s clear how much it’s helped with the recovery process on a personal and social level, with many talking about improved confidence and self-esteem.

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The Get Together group.Credit: Jason Thompson.

Turn the page to find out about a touring collection of treasures.

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baittime.to/celebrate: issue 8 - Spring 2018

Above: The Get Together group.

Facing, left: A member of the Get Together group.

Facing, right: Rainbow’s End exhibition.Credit: Jason Thompson.

If you’re searching for treasure, look no further than a new exhibition in South East Northumberland in spring 2018 showcasing work by older people.

Groups of older people from Ashington, Bedlington and Blyth have been taking part in Rainbow’s End - a creative project to help people discover treasures within their everyday lives. Led by Seaton Delaval based artist Jane Sutcliffe, groups at Station Court Care Home in Ashington for people living with dementia, Ridley Court Care Home in Blyth, the Get Together group at North Seaton Colliery for people living with disabilities, and Bedlington Creatives worked with five professional artists to explore past influences that have had an impact on the present.

Each person made a handmade paper page which reflects their own personal treasure. From April to June 2018, some of the pieces they created with artists Jane Sutcliffe, Lindsay Duncanson, Lyn Killeen, Sheila Biggs and Ieva Engelmane will be part of a touring exhibition in South East Northumberland, alongside a series of workshops where families will explore their own treasures to create colourful postcards.

Lead artist Jane Sutcliffe has been involved in the arts for over 20 years, but became more actively involved in participatory arts since 2016 when she worked with bait as a Creative Connector. We chatted to Jane to find out more.

Finding gold at the end of the rainbow

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How did the project develop?

Initially artists delivered creative activities with eight groups of older people in South East Northumberland during summer 2017. I started by looking into what people had in common, what interested them, what might work best and which groups would benefit most from taking part.

Each group was different, so they did art based on their own interests. We talked about what treasures meant to people, looked at colour association and incorporated this into sketch books. The colours were then reflected within their handmade paper. For example, one man’s favourite memory was of bluebells in Plessey Woods so we made blue paper using leaf stems from the area - that was his treasure, the carpet of bluebells. Some of the Bedlington Creatives group added images and drawings to their pages.

Each artist brought different skills too - for example, Sheila’s background is textiles, so textiles have been added to some of the coloured paper. Lindsay worked with the groups to explore sounds, conversation and colour association through audio recordings which people can listen to at the exhibition.

What difference has taking part made?

I’ve been blown away by the feedback. Taking part has made people feel like they’re a part of something; giving people company, sharing skills and trying new activities together.

People who regularly attended sessions thrived and their confidence grew. Participants from Station Court Care Home who are living with dementia related their experience to “the good times”. The Get Together group at North Seaton Colliery was very uncertain about their own abilities at the start but they really got stuck in - the change in their confidence was just brilliant.

Participants mentioned the project was a new experience, and initially some found it a bit of a mystery; it challenged their perceptions of what art is. It’s created a lot of interest and numbers more than doubled at the Bedlington Community Centre.

Why do you think it’s had such a positive impact on wellbeing?

The sessions were very much about people’s everyday lives and past influences that impact on the present. It’s about giving people a voice.

The sketchbooks have been very therapeutic for some; they’ve been very personal and it’s been brilliant to hear that people have found it a comfort. Sketchbooks encouraged participants to gather information about their treasures through colour association, texture, objects and words.

What can people expect from the exhibition and the family workshops?

The exhibition is a collaboration between participants and artists. Bringing together work from different groups, it will stimulate the senses through colour, textures and sound.

Workshops will give families a chance to work with an artist to explore their own treasures and colour associations. All ages are welcome so parents, carers or grandparents can come along with their little ones.

In the sessions we’ll be exploring treasures through ‘mail art’ - the art of sending something, like an object or a letter. We’ve taken inspiration from American artist Ray Johnson who posted small collages, prints of drawings and poems during the mid-1950s, and during the 60s people often sent postcards rather than exhibit or sell their work.

The way I see it, people have shared their treasures in their groups, and now through the exhibition they’ll be

shared with the wider community, including families who’ll take part in the workshops. The postcards they make will then be delivered to the participants and artists involved in the project and so it goes on. There will be a permanent display at a care home in Bedlington afterwards.

See the Rainbow’s End exhibition this Spring at:

Ashington Library: 29 March - 29 April 2018

Blyth Library: 1 - 23 May 2018

Baedling Manor Care Home, Bedlington: 25 May 2018 - ongoing

A series of family workshops run along the exhibitions, visit www.baittime.to for more information.

You can also find images from the project on Instagram: @Northumberland’s_Rainbow.

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Taking TURNS

The Elderflower Group.Credit: Frances Anderson.

How a group of older people from Pegswood became stars of a new film.

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Above left:Doris White and Elsie Lewis.

Above right: Ella Wonders.Credit: Jason Thompson.

In 2014, bait asked community dance expert Diane Amans to provide specialised training for artists, staff and volunteers working with older people from organisations including Age UK, the Royal Voluntary Service and care homes in South East Northumberland. Participants reported improvements in their health and wellbeing, while dance artists, health and social care practitioners, staff and volunteers benefitted from high quality training. The success of this project went on to inform the TURNS project. Project co-ordinator Mileva Donachie approached the Elderflowers - a group of older people who meet at the Hub in Pegswood each week - to ask if they’d like to take part. The Elderflowers started working with dancer and choreographer Paula Turner in September 2015 to prepare for a week of filming in February 2016 with filmmaker Lucy Cash and artistic director Emilyn Claid.

The film A Long Side, a 22 minute dance piece developed with the group, was part of the TURNS exhibition at Woodhorn Museum. The exhibition took place between October 2016 to March 2017 and it also included photographs showing the making of the film. Since then, the film has been shown in care homes, hospitals and village halls across South East Northumberland, and has been seen by over 600 people on YouTube. The Elderflowers have also taken a leading role at the Ageing Well Conference in 2017.

We sat in on a yoga session with the Elderflowers in Pegswood and afterwards chatted to Doris White, aged 83, Elsie Lewis aged 79, and Ella Wonders, aged 87 about taking part in the TURNS project.

What difference has taking part made?

Elsie: We get around a lot more now, we have more outings. My family say I’m never in - they’ve got to make an appointment to see me! Going to one activity helps, then you go to another.

Doris: I’ve been more active, and we have more days out and things like that with the group. Ella: I definitely feel a bit younger!

“The friendships that have come out of it have been wonderful - we were a bit apprehensive about meeting the other groups, but we’ve really enjoyed it.”

Doris: Yes, we’ve made friends with another group in Gateshead - the Grand Gestures - we did the film together, and they came here for our session and stayed for lunch. It was lovely meeting them all and I think we’ll make a regular thing of it.

Elsie: One example is Pat who has a learning disability - she was very quiet and shy at first, she just sat with her carer and didn’t really join in - now she loves it! It’s really built her confidence and she likes to go on our trips. She loves coming to the sessions. Her carer can’t believe how much she’s changed.

Ella: And the fitness benefits are great - it helps get rid of your aches and pains!

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How does it make you feel to know that people are watching the film and being inspired?

Elsie: Eee, that’s great! I know a lot of people round here went to see it at Woodhorn Museum.

Ella: My family came to watch at Woodhorn. My grandson is head teacher at Chantry School in Morpeth and they brought the school kids. He was really proud to say his grandma was in it!

Doris: Someone recognised me from the film when I was parking my car at Woodhorn! We’re famous at last [laughs].

Ella: I’d be really interested to hear what people think of it - some feedback would be lovely.

What do you hope people will take away from watching your film?

Elsie: it’s amazing how many people went to Woodhorn, some of my WI group went and said they’d seen us. It’s been nice. We feel we’ve achieved something, we’re really proud of it.

Ella: It shows what older people can do - if they join in things, and not just sit at home, it does help.

Elsie: Just because we’re a bit older why shouldn’t we enjoy ourselves, there’s no need to stay in the house as long as we’re able to get out.

Who else would you like to see the film?

Elsie: it would be nice for some more older groups of people to see it, maybe in more care homes so residents can see what they could do themselves to help with their health and wellbeing.

Doris: It might inspire people to try more activities for themselves, like the chair yoga sessions we’ve done.

What advice would you give to someone who was thinking about taking part?

Doris: I would encourage them to try something different. We’ve got a lot to look forward to this year that keeps us going. Lynn, our coordinator, plans the sessions after talking to the group about what they’d like to do, it’s nice to know what we’ve got coming up.

Elsie: Especially when you’re on your own, there’s a lot of people in the same situation and we all help each other.

Ella: Just give it a go!

“You never know what you can achieve until you try. We’re very open to trying new things - the more new things we try the more willing we are to try more things. It’s so worthwhile.”

What else would you like to do in the future?

Doris: We’d like to try other things - we’re game for anything! [laughs]

Elsie: We do quite a bit of dancing here - we’ve done Bollywood dancing, Pilates, we all loved that. We do have a laugh.

Doris: I love dancing, it keeps me fit.

Ella: I’d like to do more dancing as well - we’ve just heard about another project coming up at Seaton Delaval so I’m quite up for that.

Watch the film online at http://baittime.to/share-learning

The TURNS project was presented at Woodhorn Museum from October 2016 to March 2017. We asked visitors to the exhibition what they took away from watching the film. “It’s very moving - the whole thing is very good. I think it’s a fantastic piece of work, I really do.”

“For me the sense of community - the closeness – what we’ve all seemed to have lost these days. I’m from a mining village and it brought back vivid memories of what communities used to be, how everyone shared.”

“People coming together, reaching out and touching one another – being aware of other people and appreciating what they are doing.”

“Shows you how important friends are. Friendships are the most important relationships you have and you can take your friendships forward to the end.”

“There is still life and a lot to explore. They came together as group and find an interest that brings them together – which is a really good thing.”

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Art matters

800+

50

75%

people have taken part in targetted arts for wellbeing activities in South East Northumberland**From Oct 2014 – Dec 2017

we’ve worked with nearly 50 partners to deliver 75 arts for wellbeing projects**From Oct 2014 – Dec 2017

of people report an increased sense of wellbeing when taking part in the arts**WEMWBS data from Oct 2014 – Dec 2017

Spring 2018 saw organisations from across the UK come together to celebrate the third National Museums & Wellbeing Week, designed to showcase the inspiring wellbeing projects museums are undertaking. As Woodhorn Charitable Trust (which run four museums in Northumberland) is the lead body for the bait programme, it seemed a timely opportunity to reflect on how our programme, and the partners we work with, have contributed to wellbeing in South East Northumberland across the last four years.

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We asked a range of people, who have been involved in bait projects, why the arts are important to them and what impact being involved in the arts has on their lives.

“Art matters because… it lights up the world so it’s not dull and grey.”Harry, Cramlington

“Art matters because... it enriches our lives in a way nothing else gets close to and is the ultimate freedom of expression.” A member from EOTAS (Education Other Than At School) group

“Art… inspires, energises and taps into something deep down.” Hilton, Newbiggin

“Art... offers people a sense of self, a way to express themselves and their personalities.” A member from EOTAS (Education Other Than At School) group

“Art matters because… it lets people explore their creativity and communicate in new ways.” A member of ESCAPE Family Support Carers group, Ashington

“Art… allows people to express their inner most thoughts and emotions in a creative way.”Anna, Cramlington

“Art... gives me a beat of life and makes me feel happier. It helps me to calm down.” A member from EOTAS (Education Other Than At School) group

“Art matters because… it gives me more confidence and improves my life.” Tom, Cramlington

“Art matters because… it engages the brain in a different way, than any other activity, and expands the imagination.” Paul, Blyth

“Art... gives us ways of looking at the world and makes us feel emotionally attached.” A member from EOTAS (Education Other Than At School) group

“Art matters because... we need an outlet to express another side of ourselves.” A member from EOTAS (Education Other Than At School) group

bait works with partners to demonstrate how arts activities can positively impact on wellbeing. To find out more contact bait’s Arts for Wellbeing Manager, Lisa Blaney on 01670 620 278, or email [email protected]

Above:Family taking

part in the bait programme.

Credit: Richard Kenworthy

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Members of the Colour to the Grey leadership group.Credit: Jason Thompson

A group of young people have joined together to shape an arts project designed to be game changer in South East Northumberland.

The Colour to the Grey project began in 2017 with the aims of celebrating young people’s creativity, inspiring social change and offering new creative experiences.

Since then over 75 young people, aged from 11 – 25, have been involved in the project. From taking part in consultations to developing an artist brief, interviewing and appointing the artistic team, the young people have been involved at every step of the way.

Following an intensive research and development phase, the artistic team – live artist Amy Lord and North East producers The Empty Space - invited the young people who took part, to form a leadership group.

The leadership group, which consists of young people from; Action For Children, Northumberland College, Leading Link, Real Deal and Silx Teen Bar, has been tasked with learning more about what’s happening in the area in order to shape the project going forward.

From their initial research, the subjects that emerged as being the most important to young people across South East Northumberland were:

• Mental Health

• Abuse awareness

• Local safety and environment

• Learning real relevant life skills, including politics

• Low self-esteem and body image issues.

The leadership group is now organising sessions to explore these subject areas and inviting a variety of professionals, experts and specialists with different viewpoints to share their knowledge.

We met up with some members of the group - Mitchell Smith and Ben Crowley from Leading Link, along with Amy Douglas and Donna Paine from Silx Teen Bar - to find out a little more about the project, why they got involved and what they hope to achieve in the future.

A change for the better

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What has been happening with the group?

Mitchell: We are starting to contact people and set up sessions where we do Q&As. We are going to find out what the issue is, what’s being done about it and how we can have an impact on it.

Mitchell: Looking at different issues like; mental health, safety in public spaces, self-esteem, abuse – all of those things that are important to young people.

Ben: These sessions here are different to ones we’ve done before because they’re more about planning, doing research and setting up discovery sessions. Before it was more practical stuff – like creating the neon signs.

Why did you join the leadership group?

Donna: There’s no arts going on in youth clubs today that I’m interested in, just traditional arts, but I like bizarre arts – things where I can get directly involved.

Ben: I’ve been involved in other projects and I wanted to get hands on leadership wise.

Mitchell: I’ve worked with bait quite a bit and it seemed like a really good opportunity to make a change I’m passionate about in the community with a group pf people. Really making a change with art – that interests me – a change for the better.

Mitchell: It’s a really nice environment to share ideas about what you think should happen. It’s been very interesting as it’s all about the process of discovery.

Amy: I wanted to get involved and see everyone’s point of view.

“Ask what is art and how can it be put into the real world.” I want to change how people act and think.

Donna: It’s giving young people a voice – we’re normally brushed off.

What do you hope to achieve by the end of the project?

Ben: I want to expand on my communications, as it’s something I lack. Also, confidence as well, as if I don’t know a group of people I tend to shrivel a little bit. Once I get to know them, I’m fine, but it’s that first few days, or hours, I go into my shell. I just want to be able to go up to someone and say, “Hi, my name’s Ben”.

Donna: I’d like to share my experience and knowledge with the group.

Mitchell: What really interests me about this project is it’s a fantastic opportunity to make

Above left: Donna Paine.Above right: Ben Crowley.Credit: Jason Thompson

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Over the next few months the leadership group will continue to meet and make a decision on what it is they’d like to change, who they need to influence to make this change and how they’d effectively do so - using art activism as a vehicle for change.

You can find out more about the project at www.colourtothegrey.com and watch how the project develops on Instagram: @colourtothegrey.

a real change. I’m hoping that we make a change and it sticks – that’s what I really want to get out of this project.

“A change that actually makes things better for the future generations.”Ben: Or it’d be pointless if this doesn’t happen. I want to do something you feel proud of, but something that sticks as well.

Ben: You know that once you’ve walked away from the project, you know something is going to change, something is going to happen. Like changing people’s views on things or getting help to people. Also, raising awareness of stuff – like low self-esteem, lack of confidence in young people, abuse as well – what happens behind closed doors, which you just don’t hear about – it’s about bringing that to light a bit more. Eventually the aim is to bring down those numbers.

This sort of touches on some of the difficult topics to talk about.

Mitchell: But it is the topics young people find important. It’s being guided by us, so it’s what we think is important. It’s given us a voice. It’s about creating art that’s going to represent a change we want to happen as young people – empowering!

Above and facing: Neon signs created in the Colour to the Grey project.Credit: Jason Thompson

Our ConsortiumOur Funders

bait works in partnership to support more people in South East Northumberland to create and take part in inspiring and high quality arts experiences. All projects aim to build a stronger future with the people who live here. bait is part of the national Creative People and Places network.

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