www.artlinkedinburgh.co.uk
04 A Constructive Pause 07 Reassuring Continuity 10 Forging Links 14 Accessible to Everyone 17 Activities and Contributors
03
Introduction
Artlink finds creative ways for individuals to be involved in and part of their communities. This year more than any other year we are conscious that we need to be more adept in our approaches as the impact of the banking crisis filters down into our daily lives. Rather than hoping it will all go away; we have been looking at the possibilities and positive opportunities. The term resilience is often used and we expect it will continue to be a favoured term. But rather than concentrating simply on organisational efficiency savings we realise that a more substantive way of creating new opportunity is needed. In this annual review we illustrate ways of working which give people a voice within their communities, and support them to take part in creative activity, proving that working together can actually make some amazing things happen. In this last year we have worked with many communities, from hospitals to rural community groups, looking at ways in which we can involve people in making changes in their communities, and informing which changes are needed. To achieve this is quite simple: it’s all about identifying a shared sense of purpose. From encouraging a group of people with experience of mental ill health to take over the green spaces surrounding their home, to finding new ways to understand the interests of people with profound learning disabilities, these ways of working don’t just involve people with experience of disability, but a wide cross section of our community from janitor, to neighbour, to doctor, to scientist, to artist, to local shop keeper. The art is in how we knit them all together, towards an achievable aim. This year we have asked Morven Crumlish to write our Annual Review. Morven works part-time for Artlink Arts Access and is a successful writer the rest of the week. We felt that an annual review written from the point of view of someone with insider knowledge should make for interesting reading. Alison Stirling & Janbert van den Berg
Artlink believes participation in the arts has an important role to play in realising personal and social change.