Creative Voices

[wendy]

creative:voices is our creative writing and illustration project for adult carers in the London Borough of Merton. Over the past few weeks, adult carers in Merton have taken part in jewellery-making and creative writing workshops. During February and March, these dedicated adults – who support people who have a diverse range of special needs and mental ill health – will work with our internationally exhibited artist Daniel Wallis to create artwork to accompany their writing. Each participant from the project will receive a professionally printed anthology of their work. Harriet (56) has been coming to Carers Merton for 12-13 years. Her son has autism.

“I started attending Carers Support Merton for support reasons, really, so I knew that I would be linked with people who happen to be in a similar situation. There is the opportunity here to learn from each other by knowing each other and an opportunity for friendships with other families with special needs / issues. My son has autism, which means he does need/has needed in the past, quite a bit of supervision and organisation because his autism has meant that he is less able than mainstream children to cope with his own life. Finding things for him to do in the holidays is more complex than it would be for people who have children who are “normal”. It’s quite useful to be here and to get information, which I would not otherwise know about.

I was told about the creative:voices project by Shelley and she asked if I would like to join it. The workshops have been very high quality; and this is the first one I’ve attended over consecutive weeks and I’m very impressed with how organised it has been. I can’t speak too highly of it actually.

I haven’t done anything like this project before. It has made me realise that, even after so many years of having so many commitments with our children, it is still possible for us to do stuff like this! It’s a confidence builder and you know it’s very welcome in our lives. At least it is for me. If another project like this comes up I’ll be going.

Create’s artists have given us a great deal of encouragement, and they have given us all these strategies for knowing and learning how to make a children’s book. Actually to be able to try it out for yourself, make a book of your own, very useful. My story is about a king in his castle and the servant he employs to make him a fish pie. The king and the servant eventually get married. The story came about from a picture in a magazine somewhere, of a castle and a lake. It all began there.

What I’ve loved about the project is that it’s so diverse and there is such a scope for your own individual creative thinking. It’s also really good to work with someone else and share their ideas - their ideas are good for you and your ideas might be good for them. The workshops give me a sense of satisfaction because you end up with something that you have actually devised and created yourself, along with the other person you have been working with. It’s rewarding.

Projects like this are really important because we all get together, not necessarily to talk to each other but to do something really useful like this. It gives us an objective. Some people are creative, some people have talents they didn’t know they have. I think that all these projects should be really encouraged everywhere where there are people who perhaps don’t find it that easy. I know you [Create] actually do a lot of this work in organisations such as old people’s homes or rehab centres. It gives people something different to do and an opportunity to discover new talents. I just think that’s a really worthy cause, as a charity.”
CREATE ENABLES CARERS IN MERTON TO HAVE THEIR VOICES HEARD

26 February 2015 – During February and March 2015, award-winning charity Create is taking its creative:voices project to Merton, giving a group of adult carers the chance to work with its professional artist Daniel Wallis. These carers look after a family member with a long-term illness or disability, whether a daughter with severe mental health issues or an elderly parent with dementia. creative:voices gives them well-deserved time out and an opportunity to explore and develop their creative talents. Through the project, carers from Carers Support Merton come together in a friendly, supportive and creative environment.

Under the guidance of Create’s artist, the carers are using a variety of illustrative techniques including collage, photography and Photoshop to illustrate the poems and stories that they composed in the first section of the project, a series of creative writing workshops with award-winning poet and novelist Cheryl Moskowitz. Their work will be printed in a book that showcases the writing and artwork side-by-side.

A poem written by one of the carers:

Reflections of life
Some days are like being on a mountain then descending into a dark ravine,
Like being on the wobbly bridge
Feeling outside ones comfort zone.
Care takes different directions: it’s the same as a map
Travelling into unknown elevations and depressions of the land
Glimpses of new horizons.
Emotions overwhelming
Exhilarating experiences that hold us together,
Like floating in a hot air balloon
Viewing the landscape in miniature
Landing with a bump in Memory Farm.
Beautiful lake looks inviting
Plunge into cold ponds, shuddering cold
Returning to the here and now
A strong bond of care
And love that binds us together,
Forever in overwhelming love and protection
Preserving everything that we hold dear
Like being guardians of our country
Keeping green spaces parks and costal paths
For future generations.

According to Carers UK, eight out of ten carers have felt lonely or socially isolated as a result of their caring responsibilities. Create is deeply committed to helping reduce carers’ isolation by meeting other carers in a creative environment that allows them to build their confidence, form friendships and share their thoughts and feelings.

“In 2014, 49% of carers said they felt that society doesn’t think about them at all,” comments Create’s Co-Founder and Chief Executive, Nicky Goulder. “creative:voices has been designed to bring carers together to give them the chance to express themselves and learn skills that they can take back into their homes. It gives them a voice and this is important and powerful - they have so much to share. It is our privilege to give them this opportunity.”

-ENDS-

creative:voices runs weekly from 2 February until 9 March 2015.

About Create
Founded in 2003, Create (http://www.createarts.org.uk) has run 5,319 creative arts workshops that have helped transform the lives of 28,983 disadvantaged and vulnerable participants, mainly as part of sustained, life-changing programmes. Aimed at those who are excluded through disability, disadvantage, ill-health, imprisonment, poverty or social isolation, participants are given access to high-quality creative arts experiences that help them develop confidence, trusting relationships, strong social skills and self-esteem. Every project helps to create a society that is fairer, more caring and more inclusive.

Follow Create on Twitter: @createcharity
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/create.transforming.lives

For more information/imagery, please contact:
Joe Hardy, Create Communications
Tel: 020 7374 8485
Email: joe@createarts.org.uk

[Rosalind]

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[annie]

Sounds great! go90