Welcome New Members

Following our report in our July issue on the significant partnership between praXis and Creative Remedies, we are pleased to welcome all those signed up to the latter's database, who will now receive the praXis e-bulletin regularly every month. Also a big welcome to the many individual members who have joined us over the summer, via the praXis website. Why not join the growing crowd?

To join praXis click here.

To find out more about Creative Remedies visit:

Top Tips for Artists

Rachel Parker, Principal Arts into Health Development Officer at Walsall Council's Creative Development Team gives her top ten tips for artists when applying for Walsall Arts into Health partnership projects. Of course, this advice could apply to any number of commissions which you as an artist may be tendering for.

"Alongside answering the brief, here are some things to consider when compiling your proposal:

1. Be clear. State what commission you are applying for, giving details of relevant past experiences of work within the health sector and participatory arts practice. The project brief should outline clear guidelines for what to include. If asked to give referee details, check it with the relevant person first!

2. Be specific. Relate your experience to the project you're applying for. Talk succinctly about other similar projects you've been involved in, the approaches you took, the people you worked with (face to face and commissioners) and the outcomes and success achieved.

3. Say why you are interested in applying for the project. The more the commissioner knows about why you are interested and the relevant skills you would bring to the project, the better.

4. Be concise. Show off your good practice. Select a handful of projects to promote the quality, style, approaches and arts medium of your work. Again make these relevant to the project you're applying for. Include photos with a short description to put the project into context. Be clear about the role you had in the project.

5. Pictures speak a thousand words. Iconic images from your portfolio of work will help the commissioner see the quality of your work. Don't just refer to a website for details of project examples- there is no guarantee that internet access will be available to everyone when short listing.

6. Presentation is important. Clearly thought through and well presented applications are always easier and more interesting to read.

Artist Professional Development Programme 2010

The Arts and Health Artist Professional Development Programme (APDP) will be running for a third time, in February 2010. It offers a unique opportunity for artists, development workers and organisations commissioning arts and health projects to work together. The 5-day Programme provides an opportunity for participants to gain an in-depth insight in to health-based work, develop their own practice and study at Masters level:

"The Programme has made me very conscious of what's happening in my practice and has made me question it. (I am now) much clearer about my own work."
Quote from past student

Funding has been secured from Staffordshire University Futures Programme to offer Bursaries to all students. This means the price has been reduced from £500 to £250 for everyone who is offered a place on the course.

The initial closing date for applications is October 30th 2009. For more details about the course and an application form please go to the APDP section on the praXis website. For an informal chat please ring Kate Gant on 0121 778 5695

If your organisation is involved in delivering arts and health work and you are interested in supporting artists develop their skills, then you could provide a placement opportunity for the course. Organisations benefit in a number of ways including being introduced to new artists, using documentation created by the student to raise the profile of arts and health work and having the opportunity to explore their own commissioning practice by participating in an employee forum. Commissioners in the past have included Staffordshire County Council, Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Sandwell Third Age Arts, Birmingham Children's Hospital NHS Trust, Cannock Chase District Council, Dance Xchange and Jigsaw Arts & Health.

"Great networking opportunity to meet artists working in varied artforms (and) to meet other commissioners"
Commissioner at a 'Meet the Artist' workshop

If you are interested in finding out more go to APDP section on the website. You can also ring Kate Gant on 0121 778 5695 or email kate@creativityteam.co.uk

7. Promote yourself. Show your creativity and uniqueness in your application.

8. Think of your audience. Not everyone on the interview panel may be from an arts background so think about how you present your ideas and proposed project. The panel may be representatives of key people involved in the project, eg. health professionals, community leaders, teachers, young people etc. (For example, if you will be working in a health setting show that you understand the sensitivities, expectations and working practice that will be expected of you).

9. Meet the deadline. Applications received after the stated deadline; even if glowing with skills and experience will usually not be accepted.

10. If in doubt, ask. Project managers are always contactable by phone or email to answer any questions you may have. They are happy to have an informal chat about the project."

For more information on Walsall Council Creative Development Team's Arts into Health work, contact Rachel Parker on: 01922 653114 or parkerr@walsall.gov.uk
Alternatively you can visit their website.

What is Happiness?

Photo: Fountain Court group workshop
© Multistory

What do gardening, Patrick Swayze, Egypt and the 80's all have in common?
They are all sources of happiness for participants that took part in the What is Happiness? project and have been translated into themed houses that will form part of an interactive exhibition to be held at The Public in October.

Over the summer, seven diverse community groups worked alongside artists from Multistory to explore what happiness meant to them. Using a variety of artforms the groups stencilled, sprayed, glued and sewed their ideas of happiness onto pre-fabricated cardboard houses that will be brought together to create an estate of 'Happiness Houses'. These will be exhibited at The Public, New Street, West Bromwich, B70 7PG from Tuesday 20 October until Friday 27 November (during building opening hours). The exhibition will provide visitors with a fascinating visual insight into what makes people from across the Black Country happy.

There will be a special launch event with guest speaker Dr John Middleton (Director of Public Health for Sandwell Primary Care Trust) on Thursday 22 October from 5pm - 7pm.

Multistory artists also visited the Sandwell Community Show on 31st August and encouraged almost 200 people to contribute to the creation of more Happiness Houses. People also filled in postcards and made keyrings to illustrate what makes them happy and show that the Black Country is a great place to live, work and visit. All these responses will contribute to a virtual Black Country Happiness Map at www.multistory.org.uk/happiness

If you missed the Sandwell show you can still contribute to the project via your mobile phone or the internet. Just text 'Happiness is...' and your answer along with your name, age and postcode to 60300 or email the information to happiness@multistory.org.uk If you would like to know more about the project please contact Karen Bell at karen@creativityteam.co.uk

 
Photo: Young participant at Sandwell Show
© K. Bell

An Artists Perspective

Cath Tarbuck, one of the artists that worked on the project with women from Avon House, a refuge for women that have suffered domestic violence, shares her experiences below:

"Over the last two months, Multistory has been working on the What is Happiness? project. Participants from a wide range of ages, abilities and cultural backgrounds have participated in developing ideas and designs to create unique miniature houses based on the theme of 'happiness'.

The workshops have involved a wide variety of differing mediums including illustration, painting, stencilling, photography, pattern and printmaking. Multistory has also used various creative approaches and techniques adapted to engage with and meet the needs of each of the groups. We have been working with a number of organisations across the Black Country that offer bespoke services and provisions to individuals suffering from dementia; young people who are deaf or hearing impaired; residents of a women's refuge; people living with long term mental illnesses; and adults with learning disabilities. Each group has therefore required very different levels of engagement and support in developing their ideas and designs for the 'happiness' project.

For example, with the young people who are hearing impaired, we used a lot of visual examples to show them different art techniques and ways of expressing images and ideas that they could use as inspiration to translate their ideas onto the 'happiness' houses. We also worked with a sign language interpreter to discuss and explore the young people's ideas of what makes them happy. In a very different context, at Fountain Court which is a centre for older people with dementia in Sandwell, we developed themed activities and processes with the group that could be visually documented by the Multistory artists and then used those images to decorate the houses, using repetitive techniques through pattern and print making. With another group, working with residents at a women's refuge in Walsall, we found that one-to-one support and discussions were most appropriate, especially when dealing with sensitive or emotive themes such as relationships and personal narratives; in some cases these narratives were then painted onto the outside walls of the houses to create the artwork. Multistory is currently in the process of completing the second cycle of 'Happiness' workshops with Tipton Young Parents' Group; Dudley Mind; and a South East Asian Women's Group.

One of the key things that we have enjoyed whilst working on the project is the diversity of people we have been able to work with and how this has creatively evolved into some very unique and thought provoking artworks".