Five new projects are launching in the community this month to explore creative ways to overcome the strains of lockdown and think about public health and wellbeing beyond COVID.
Commissioned by East Sussex County Council Cultural Strategy and Public Health staff, the Everyday Creativity programme is being managed by Lewes-based arts charity Culture Shift, with each project being led by different creative organisations.
The aim is to engage creative individuals and organisations whose work has been so adversely affected by the pandemic. Projects will run from March to the end of June 2021.
One of the initiatives is focused on people who have become unemployed or furloughed and this project is led by Creative Future (www.creativefuture.org.uk), offering a varied programme of free artist-led activity including creative writing, photography and life coaching.
Julia Roberts, Co-Director of Culture Shift, said: “These free workshops are a brilliant opportunity for people to overcome anxiety, re-focus and be inspired at a time that is extremely challenging for seeking employment. We have worked closely with colleagues in the Department of Work and Pensions to make sure that these activities are useful and productive as well as being relaxing and fun!”
The other Everyday Creativity projects are focused on:
- Personal Assistants (PAs) supporting people in the local community (led by Community 21/University of Brighton https://community21.org/
- Former rough sleepers now in temporary accommodation in Hastings and Eastbourne, (working with music and arts organisations Resonate Creative CIC and Eastbourne Studio Pottery https://resonate.world/, www.eastbournestudiopottery.com)
- Care home residents and their families across the county (led by music organisation Raise Your Voice in Care www.raiseyourvoice.org.uk and visual arts practitioners Painted Ladies and Lucy Groenewoud www.lucygroenewoud.com)
- Young people (led by a partnership between Hastings based organisations, Eggtooth, Isolation Station and Home Live Art www.eggtooth.org.uk, www.isolationstationhastings.co.uk, www.homeliveart.com)
Councillor Rupert Simmons, lead cabinet member for economy at the County Council, said: “We’re delighted that our teams from Public Health and East Sussex Libraries are working with the East Sussex cultural sector to support sections of the population who are finding Covid restrictions particularly difficult.
“We’re pleased that over and above the positive impact this will have on the mental health of the groups we work with directly, we will also be able to share wider resources through the library service and commission local creative freelancers to deliver the work.”
To find out more and get involved in any of these projects, contact Catherine Orbach or Julia Roberts (Co-Directors of Culture Shift) at info@cultureshift.org.uk