Creative Colleagues - August 2024

AUGUST 2024

CREATIVE COLLEAGUES Creative Lives’ in-house magazine

THE SEARCH FOR A NEW CHAIR!

All good things must come to an end, and at this year’s Away Day in November we’ll say a fond farewell to our Chair, David Bryan. David has served Creative Lives well and we will all be sorry to see him go after seven years of steady leadership.

In a bid to find someone to continue his good work, Creative Lives has enlisted the help of creative consultant Gregory Nash, and we are also running an advert in The Guardian.

Please help us in our recruitment drive by sharing the ad on our website. The deadline for applications is Friday 16 August.

THE QUICK CATCH-UP NEW GRANTS IN READING & HARTLEPOOL We currently have two grants programmes open: Know Your Neighbourhood Grants in Hartlepool (4 x £5,000) A second round of funding for creative activities and partnerships in Reading (from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, in conjunction with Reading Borough Council).

We’re also hosting two online events to share information about these grants.

NEW FACES AT CREATIVE LIVES A big hello and welcome to two new members of staff who started in July: Grace Stubbings (right) - who is part of the Place team, working in Hartlepool in partnership with BBC Radio Tees.

She has taken over from Rachel Teate, who we said goodbye to earlier in July.

Alana MaPake (left) - our new PhD intern (funded by the Scottish Graduate School of Arts & Humanities) will be researching sustainability in the amateur crafts sector.

NEXT STEPS AFTER THE BANKING SURVEY Our ‘Barriers to Banking’ survey closed on 22 July and we were disappointed, but not surprised, to find that many creative community groups are struggling to set up and run bank accounts.

We’re now planning a Creative Network session for the autumn, where groups can share stories and learn from a banking expert.

ON AIR TEAM CAPTURING WHOLESOME CONTENT! The On Air team has been busy as always, including a lovely segment on BBC Radio Berkshire by Aoife, who spoke to Progress Theatre about their production of The Importance of Being Earnest (pictured) - with some nice quotes from the group about what being creative means to them.

You can listen to Aoife’s interview here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p0j6451v (at 2:43)

ON THE HORIZON AWARD WINNERS CHOSEN! This year’s Creative Lives Awards winners and runnersup have now been chosen! We won’t be going public with this news until the night of the ceremony in London on 26 September but we’ll put a message in Slack once everyone has been notified.

We had just under 6,000 votes in the People’s Choice Award, which closed on 29 July - and a clear winner was evident!

INTERNS SPEAKING AT CONFERENCE We’re delighted that our PhD interns Annamae Burrows and Luke Whittle, who joined us for three months earlier this year, will be presenting at the Everyday Creativity Conference we’re co-hosting on 26 September (in the morning/afternoon before the Awards ceremony).

They’ll be sharing the findings from their soon-to-bepublished research reports on creative wellbeing and how groups can be more accessible for disabled people or those with mental health difficulties.

DUNDEE EVENT TO SUPPORT GROUPS Creative Lives is partnering with the V&A in Dundee to co-host an event supporting volunteer-led and grassroots creative groups in Dundee and its surrounds, and to celebrate and promote creativity in the area.

This in-person event will take place in Dundee on 1 October.

More info here.

CHIEF EXECUTIVE UPDATE ON DISABILITY PARTNERSHIP Robin says: Earlier this year Creative Lives was one of the partners in a funding application Disability Rights UK submitted to Arts Council England to support a project exploring everyday creativity in Disabled People's Organisations.

Unfortunately that application was unsuccessful but I am meeting Rebecca Clarkson and Matthew Cock at DRUK on 6 August to explore the possibility of setting up a new Creative Network for Disabled Community-Led Creatives and developing new online toolkits for creative groups and disabled people's organisations.

GETTING TO KNOW...

GARETH COLES Profile Director

What’s your first memory of being creative?

Crawling to the back door to draw birds. I also remember being frustrated at being handed big clumsy crayons. I wanted fine detail.

If you could click your fingers and be proficient at any art/craft form, what would it be?

Carpentry / woodworking.

Which do you prefer: river walk, beachside stroll or hill climb?

River walk.

You’re planning a day of live music and can book any 5 artists (living or dead) – who’s on the bill?

Jimi Hendrix, Radiohead, Rodrigo y Gabriela, Khruangbin and Cab Calloway.

What inanimate object in your home most sums you up?

Maybe my car? I’ve only ever owned one car: an old VW Polo. Unflashy but dependable.

What’s your favourite quality in a person?

Practicality (under-rated!)

Which do you prefer – chocolate bar, slice of cake or biscuit?

Slice of cake, please!

If you could choose any work of art to hang in your home, what would it be?

One of Hiroshi Senju’s ‘Cliffs’ (although I will need a larger home to accommodate it).

Which country have you never visited but would love to?

Bhutan Tell us one thing your colleagues would be surprised to learn about you English is my second language.

PHOTO FINISH Each month, we ask a colleague to capture an aspect of their life, at home, or out and about.

“I took this photo at the top of the famous ‘199 steps’ in Whitby during a recent weekend away. I was very fortunate with the light and it’s inspired me to start a ‘sunsets’ gallery on my kitchen wall!” Kelly Donaldson, Creative Lives Editor