Creative Network - London: During the pandemic (2020-21) and looking forward to hopeful moments

London

During the pandemic 2020 - 2021, and looking forward to hopeful moments of connection in 2022

The first event took place in April 2019 at Camden Disability Action in Kentish Town.

The second event took place at Walworth Living Room in Elephant and Castle in October 2019.

The third event was due to take place at Applecart Arts in Newham in April 2020. Instead, due to the pandemic, the event moved online.

Creative Network - LDN is a peer support network open to anyone involved in creative participation across London to support each other now and build foundations for the future.

Creative Network - London began as Creativity and Inclusion network in 2019, with the intention to meet several times a year in a different London borough.

This event formed the beginning of Creative Network - London, a chapter network of the national Creative Network. This campaign started in March 2020 by Creative Lives - a series of online get-togethers open to anyone involved in arts, culture and creativity in order to connect and collaborate in unusual times.

From April 2020 to July 2021, Creative Network - London held open meetings online on the last Thursday of every month for one hour.

The meetings consisted of wellbeing sessions, peer-support check-ins, funding briefings, as well as a regular programme whereby each month a different guest from the network shared insights around a recent project.

Guest projects were presented by organisations including: Art4Space, Community Bridges, Eltham Arts, London Drawing, The Southbank Centre and Spacehive. The environment was relaxed and open - with time for sharing and discussion.

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Reflecting on Creative Network London (CN - LDN)

"It gave me emotional comfort talking to like minded people.

Being a freelancer it was very overwhelming to lose all the work at the start of the pandemic and to see the uncertainty of future work… the peer support meant there was someone to help me get on as we all got into devising new ways to deliver the projects."

"I am not usually very confident or comfortable to attend in person networking events but I found these online sessions a really welcoming and friendly space to be in."

"CN-LDN was a great way to keep in touch with other creative people and feel connected during the pandemic. I really valued the sessions in which there was time for self reflection and sharing of practice and ideas."

"I particularly enjoyed connecting with creatives from different fields, sharing practice, supporting each other with the everyday challenges we faced during the pandemic in our work. Sharing practice and learning new skills gave me the confidence to try new ways of approaching my projects."

"During the pandemic it felt like a necessary creative space to have access to. I was very grateful for it and the openness of people in the sessions too."

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CN - LDN moments of connectivity

"Tim shared his experience with his drumming group, that's basically impossible online. Because the time lag means that keeping to rhythm is impossible.

So then we spoke about, you know, where are the outdoor spaces, but maybe have a bit of shelter so things could carry on…"

June 2020 "I found this invitation from my son for a Google meet… he wanted to meet me!"

"It was the first time since Lockdown that I felt I was in a normal space again."

August 2020 "Online activity has actually enabled a sense of togetherness for some people that otherwise might feel a bit more nervous about joining things in real life.

So I shared my experience of running life drawing classes online during this time. And for some people how this has been, you know, the first opportunity where they felt confident to join because they felt too intimidated by a life class."

"I haven't got any [podcasting] experience but I think it would be a fantastic idea."

Screenshot of Pandemonium Drummers' performance of 'And I Will Virtually Kiss'. Source: YouTube

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November 2020

"And so we had a little chat at the beginning just about a little moan I suppose about working from home and aches and pains in our bodies and, and how we're approaching it in different ways."

"I just want to say it's really interesting to hear this and I'm just very fired up by this."

APRIL 2021

"Whatever you do you need to have discussion."

"It’s not selfish to ask for validation."

"I’d like to keep openness when we meet face to face."

"How how, what what?

The importance of the network is that you can come together and actually alleviate those fears, reduce those questions...

"People have been more transparent, and I found it was very accessible during the Pandemic I’d like to keep that."

I have that understanding of what other people are doing so I can feel better about myself."

"I think I’ll email you so we ca n have another c hat."

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Creative Network poems written after an online lunch club meeting in December 2021

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CN - LDN as development platform

"I've met with other creatives in the area through the Creative Network Lunch Club which may lead to future collaborations on new projects."

"As a freelancer I greatly value the networking that Creative lives has offered and continues to offer.

Looking to CN - LDN 2022

It not only helps to connect with other creatives, create opportunities of collaboration for future work but also provides personal and professional development by sharing good practice."

In November 2021 Creative Network - London began an on-the-ground chapter network: Creative Network Old Kent Road.

The network takes the form of a fortnightly lunch club at Avalon Cafe in South Bermondsey, a peer-support network for those involved in creative engagement in the Old Kent Road Area.

Creative Network - London continues to meet quarterly online. All welcome!

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Creative Network Old Kent Road lunch club Avalon Cafe, Juno Way, SE14 - November 2021

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Join us!

Contact

natanya@creative-lives.org

Follow @cn_okr for lunch club updates.

Visit creative-lives.org/ creativenetwork-london for more CN - LDN information, including online meet-ups.

creative-lives.org/ creativenetwork-london

@cn_okr

Creative Lives Charity Limited is registered in Scotland as Company No. 139147 and Charity No. SC 020345. Registered office: The Melting Pot, 15 Calton Road, Edinburgh EH8 8DL. Creative Lives acknowledges funding from Arts Council England, the Arts Council of Ireland, Creative Scotland and the Arts Council of Wales.