Creative Colleagues - November 2024

NOVEMBER 2024

CREATIVE COLLEAGUES Creative Lives’ in-house magazine

SAY HELLO, WAVE GOODBYE

At the next Board meeting, which will take place during the All Staff and Board Away Day in Bradford, 21-22 November 2024, we will be saying goodbye to our current Chair David Bryan, and welcoming our new Chair Gavin Stride.

We want to say a huge thank you to David for his inspirational leadership over the last seven years, and a big welcome to Gavin, with whom we’re looking forward to working.

THE QUICK CATCH-UP MEN’S SHEDS IN THE SPOTLIGHT Our successful ongoing relationship with Heritage Crafts bore fruit once again in October, when we co-hosted another Creative Network: Crafts session.

We were joined by Rachel Meadows of the UK Men’s Sheds Association, who told us about the activities taking place in sheds across the country - and how local creative groups could partner with them. You can read Rachel's Q&A here.

NORTHERN IRELAND CONSULTATION In early October, David McDonald was joined by staff from the Northern Ireland Executive, and members of grassroots creative groups from across Northern Ireland.

The event heard from Gavin King from the NI Executive who presented the Programme for Government. Deirdre McKenna from recent Creative Lives Awards winner the Black Box in Belfast also spoke about the vital role of local creative groups touching on all the wider impacts and benefits creative groups bring. David is now working on our submission and recommendations.

ONLINE SESSIONS LOOKED AT ACCESSIBILITY AND BANKING On 2 October 2024, Luke Whittle and Annamae Burrows presented their research reports at an online Creative Network exploring the barriers to accessing creative activities, and what organisers can consider to better support participants.

We also ran a policy session on 23 October 2024 exploring some of the issues creative groups are facing in regard to accessing banking services. David McDonald, who led the event, was joined by guest speaker Sachi Caldera from CAF Bank.

ON THE HORIZON ALL-STAFF MEETINGS The next all-staff meeting will be online at 11.30am on Tuesday 12 November 2024.

And remember that we’re meeting in person for our annual Staff and Board Away Day in Bradford on 21-22 November 2024 - please remember to email your dinner selections to Lindsey!

NEW EDENDERRY GRANTS We have just announced the latest round of Creative Places: Edenderry Seed Funding. 6 x €1,000 grants are available to anyone in the Edenderry community and the surrounds who has an idea for a creative or artistic cultural project that they would like to explore and develop, and which will benefit the Edenderry community.

NEW ROLE ADVERTISED Creative Lives is advertising for a new part-time Community Producer London, to provide local development support and produce audio broadcast content in high-priority areas in London to improve creative participatory opportunities.

For more information, please see the Work with us section of our website.

KNOW YOUR NEIGHBOURHOOD The Creative Lives Know Your Neighbourhood grant programme has supported more than 60 projects in 22 areas of England in order to tackle chronic loneliness and increase volunteer opportunities through engagement in creative activities at a local level. On 5 November 2024 we will be gathering together in Wolverhampton with the other Know Your Neighbourhood funding distributors and some of the successful projects to share our learning at the Know Your Neighbourhood Autumn Conference.

GETTING TO KNOW...

JILL MILLER, TRUSTEE What’s your first memory of being creative?

Sitting beside my grandma in her tiny cottage in front of an open fire learning how to knit. The knitting needles were red plastic, and I still have them in her big sewing box that came to me when she left us at the age of 99 and 6 months.

She did knitting, crochet and intricate needle work evidence that crafting contributes to a long life.

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

Knitting, as I never got passed the scarf stage.

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

I live by the sea and the beach supports my everyday living. From bare foot paddles on a sunny day (not quite brave enough for swimming but thinking about it!) to being buffeted in a storm, every day is different.

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

Tracy Chapman, Martyn Bennett, King Creosote, Florence + The Machine and Paolo Nutini.

What inanimate object in your home most sums you up? Single wally dog.

What’s your favourite quality in a person? Empathy.

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

Cake, and specifically carrot cake.

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

A piece by Margaret Macdonald Mackintosh. I particularly like the beaten metal, brass or lead that she and her sister Frances worked on in the late 1890s.

Which country have you never visited but would love to? Peru Tell us one thing your colleagues would be surprised to learn about you I’m a committed BBC Radio 4 Archers fan - never miss a Sunday omnibus.

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

“I dislike the modern tendency to walk round art galleries taking photos of everything: surely it would be better to actually look at the works of the art? You can always buy a postcard or Google the image later if you want to remember it (and don't get me started on taking selfies in front of a painting!).

“But I made an exception in this case. As we walked around the Uffizi Gallery in Florence a few weeks ago, turning a corner and coming face to face with Caravaggio's image of the severed head of Medusa, painted on a wooden shield and apparently suspended in mid-air against a blood-red backdrop, was a truly arresting moment. And yes, the photo doesn't really do it justice - but I just had to take it!” Robin