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Postcards from The Edge (City Arts)
"We hope to capture the realities and feelings of modern life for people who are usually marginalised, overlooked and unheard. Through art and words people can tell us their stories and open a window into their lives." Esther, steering group member.
Postcards From The Edge began as a Health Action Zone project for Mental Health Awareness Week (MHAW) 2001. The project was inclusive and open to all, but targeted at mental health users, giving a rare opportunity for this particular interest group to give voice to concerns about 'visibility', community support, personal relationships and marginalisation.
A steering group of interested artists/mental health service users decided and developed the course of the project, and were involved at all stages of publicity, marketing and further fundraising.
As a core activity, artists Penny Arnold, Sara Allsop and Rune Garrett ran workshops in order for participants to create original arts work. Steering group members also ran workshops. But the project was made more widely accessible by usin 'mail art'...plain, pre-addressed postcards were distributed through mental health and other networks, and recipients were invited to mail back visual images and text they had created in response to the title "postcards from the edge". Participants were aware that their work would be exhibited publicly. Completed postcards were received not only from Nottingham but the rest of the UK, and internationally as well.
A workshop pack was also sent to health practitioners, such as occupational therapists. The pack was used as a tool for personal work on hospital wards, where patients submitted work to the public exhibition. Other groups, such as young homeless people, accessed the creative work through initiatives that the project has created.
This project is a prototype for arts organisations, service providers and mental health service users to develop. It shows how principles of good practice in the mental health field can be observed by professional artists supporting the process - 'people-led' content, supportive contributions and respectful attitudes being the hallmark of good participatory arts work.
Word of the work spread all around Nottingham. A young man, accompanied by a friend, came to the City Arts office, and volunteered his story: "I'm on the edge...I don't know what to do..." His friend suggested, "Try this, it will give you something to concentrate on, help you sort yourself out..."
Arts work does not in itself solve people's problems. It can directly and immediately affect people's sense of health and well being. This project is a 'gateway' for a large number of people to express feelings, concerns and thoughts (anonymous or otherwise), knowing that their voice will be 'heard' and valued in public.
For more information contact City Arts
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EMPAF has a new website which is to be launched in September. Based on the social networking model it will enable users and members to put up profiles for individuals, projects and organisations. There is also an option to link to other profiles, send comments and update with news, events, opportunities as well as engage in debates around current issues affecting the community and participatory arts.
In addition to putting up information and resources EMPAF will also be promoting future CPD events and development opportunities.
The website is aimed at creating a vibrant and engaging online community so please get involved and make use of this site as much as possible.
The site itself in final testing but live and will transfer to the www.empaf.com address at the end of the beginning of next month. To join now please go to http://beta.empaf.com/ (note there is no www) and anything you add now will remain live during the transfer. We welcome any feedback on how to make it even more user friendly, so please email jane@empaf.com with this or any questions.
A free event for artists; arts practitioners; organisations and community groups working in, or interested in working in community and participatory arts.
The day is designed to give plenty of opportunity to network, discuss your work, ask questions, share experiences and find out more information about a range of subjects and issues affecting everyone working in participatory arts.
Including an in-depth session devoted to professional and project development subjects such as negotiating contracts, rates of pay and how to set up and run an event will be covered.
There is also be an facilitated open space session based around working in and across different arts forms, a presentation and open sharing session on International working and a presentation outlining current key trends and influences such as reforms in Public Sector funding, the Cultural Offer and Cultural Olympiad. Plus, this is your chance to influence future EMPAF work and events as each of the sessions is designed to bring out issues that are most relevant to you.
Registration and networking begins at 9.45am for 10.30am start. Lunch is provided and there is lots of time given to networking and finding out more about EMPAF, Cultivate and a wide range of other resources and sources of further information.
Taking place at St James Centre, Derby places are available on a first come first served basis. To book email Jane@empaf.com or call 07984199477 giving your name and a daytime contact number. For more details click on the title above.
EMPAF has been working to support an Arts Council England East Midlands initiative to help demystify recent developments in Local Area Agreements. ACE are running a series of mini events around the region for artists, arts practitioners and local authority arts officers to look at recent changes in terms of how they offer opportunities for arts and creative projects. The first event took place in Leicester at the beginning of June and EMPAF is publishing copies of presentation notes, supporting information and case studies used as part of all the events in the resources / essential publications section of this website (click on the title of this news item to go directly there). The next event will take place in Nottingham on 3rd July. Email info@empaf.com for more details.
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