ARTWORKS: Art Works Where all young people have access to the transformative power of creating art.
The Arts for Health and Wellbeing Programme are proud to share the upcoming collaboration with Beth Morris Workshops to launch ‘ARTWORKS: Art Works’ with funding from NHS Charities Together.
Beth Morris Workshops is a creative community art school providing workshops to inspire and give confidence to children and adults of all abilities. We have a long lasting relationship with Beth Morris, who has run multiple projects supporting patients and the community at Cardiff and Vale University Health Board, including patients from the Brain and Spinal Rehabilitation centre at University Hospital Llandough. Most recently over 60 of her younger students developed art work for The Magnificent Meadows Cymru project resulting in a huge joyful art piece bringing a sense of calm to staff, patients and visitors of our Cardiff hospital.
Over the next two years, we aim for ARTWORKS to offer regular accessible creative workshops, providing opportunities for students to develop artistically and fulfil their potential. The ARTWORKS team believe that access to art is a human right and that self-expression and creative expression is power. We are committed to honouring the voices of young people and their communities who do not have access to art.
The need for ARTWORKS has developed from the long-term negative effect the Covid-19 Pandemic has had on young people, particularly those from underrepresented communities. We will create a space where respect, diversity, and equity are at the forefront of our programme. While we work with everyone, we hold primary space for those who have faced barriers to arts, education, and employment. We hope to connect with local groups and organisations who are already supporting such communities to help shape the programmes development.
Beth has designed the ARTWORKS programme to provide regular supportive sessions celebrating creativity, but also providing a stable routine and practical approach which impacts positively on mental wellbeing. Students will not need any previous artistic experience, but must be aged 16-25 years old, committed to being part of a creative community, and have a keenness to develop their skills and self confidence.
https://www.bethmorrisworkshops.co.uk/adult-workshops/artworks
During the workshops, students will have opportunity to create in various arts media, including, zines, poetry, photography, collage, textiles, fashion design and illustration, stitch, painting, print-making, jewellery-making, sneaker design and multi-cultural craft, as part of an agile programme that will respond and adapt to all students needs. Professional artists and creatives will be regularly commissioned to share their stories and skills so the ARTWORKS students can develop their own.
“Art works to help us express ourselves, give us a voice and improve our mental health. I am privileged to support this creative programme and I am looking forward to getting to know the applicants and working alongside the incredible guest artists we have lined up. We are all works of art, and these workshops will hopefully help young people realise that.” – Beth Morris
