Working with our Engaging Neighbourhoods community partners
Our Engaging Neighbourhoods project is now in its fourth year we are proud to have been able to extend our activity with Calderdale community groups from an initial three groups to nine partnerships across the borough.
As part of our The Man Who Planted Trees project in 2024 we offered 43 workshops - covering drama, creative writing, art, craft and ceramics AND created and supported a nature-based volunteering day with a third party charity.
9 community groups were once more engaged (4 groups supporting young people and 5 adult- focussed groups). Each group offered a minimum of 4 artist-facilitator led sessions at a location convenient to them, and some groups received 7 creative sessions.
2 of our partner groups co-hosted our community creative days with us, and 1 other group hosted one of our three art exhibitions.
452 people attended across 43 Calderdale-wide creative sessions and a volunteering day, delivered over Cornholme, Todmorden, Hebden Bridge, Mytholmroyd, Halifax, Rastrick and Elland. At least 167 different individuals joined in the Engaging Neighbourhoods programme of workshops and courses across the nine groups. 11 young people, joining us from 3 of our partner organisations, were integral to our production as our youth cast members and part of our community chorus.
As part of our The Man Who Planted Trees project in 2024 we offered 43 workshops - covering drama, creative writing, art, craft and ceramics AND created and supported a nature-based volunteering day with a third party charity.
9 community groups were once more engaged (4 groups supporting young people and 5 adult- focussed groups). Each group offered a minimum of 4 artist-facilitator led sessions at a location convenient to them, and some groups received 7 creative sessions.
2 of our partner groups co-hosted our community creative days with us, and 1 other group hosted one of our three art exhibitions.
452 people attended across 43 Calderdale-wide creative sessions and a volunteering day, delivered over Cornholme, Todmorden, Hebden Bridge, Mytholmroyd, Halifax, Rastrick and Elland. At least 167 different individuals joined in the Engaging Neighbourhoods programme of workshops and courses across the nine groups. 11 young people, joining us from 3 of our partner organisations, were integral to our production as our youth cast members and part of our community chorus.
Calderdale Young Carers Service: Young Carers were supported to join in one of four drama workshops with director Andy Barry over the Easter holidays to explore their theatrical side, and from which we drew members of our youth community cast for the performances, supporting their engagement by organising all transport and food, costume and other costs of taking part, to make their participation possible with no strain on their families.
WomenCentre, Halifax: We ran a creative course over 6 weeks from April to June in which centre members worked with Sandra McCracken, a professional artist to make masks, puppets and props for our performance.
Project Colt, Elland: Working with Jonny Quick, a theatre set maker, artist, puppet-maker and puppeteer / actor Colt users participated in a 4 week creative course in May & June to make venue dressings, props and masks for our performance. We offered a walk and draw workshop with Sally Barker and Paul Knights to make work for our art exhibitions, and a July exhibition was hosted for over two weeks in Project Colt's wonderful and welcoming community centre in Elland.
The Space Community Hub, Rastrick. Following a wonderful writing workshop with playwright Amanda Dalton, a 6-week creative course to make theatrical elements for our performance ran from April to June open to all centre users. The Space was also our partner and host for our Saturday 15 June Community Creative Day in Rastrick. Members of The Space were our guests in the audience at Elland.
Calder Community Cares, Cornholme, Todmorden: An exciting writing workshop with playwright Amanda Dalton kick started the project with The Lionesses of the Valley, a peer support group for women established by Calder Community Cares. Following this our six week creative course held over May and June saw the group learning to make masks and puppet elements alongside props, for our performance. The Lionesses were our community partner and co-host for our Saturday 1 June Community Creative Day in Todmorden. The Lionesses also joined us as audience members as our guests at the performances in Hebden Bridge.
Time Out, Calderdale wide (part of Healthy Minds Calderdale): Calderdale based 8-16 years olds were invited, via Time Out, to attend one of four drama workshops we ran over the Easter holidays in Halifax and Hebden Bridge. Youngsters were able to work with director Andy Barry, and designer and puppet-maker Alison Duddle. From these 4 workshops which we drew 4 of our youth community cast members, who appeared in our performances as actors and puppeteers.
St Augustine’s Centre, Halifax: We partnered for the fourth time with St Augustines, and from May we ran a 4 week creative course for sanctuary seekers, with our artist Sue Walpole working with centre members to make puppet elements, masks and set dressings for our performance. In July we organised and ran a special day for sanctuary seekers to volunteer with ForUsTree, an outdoor growing project in the Upper Valley. Participants of the workshops and their family members joined the audience in Elland, as our guests.
Halifax Opportunities Trust - Todmorden & Pellon's Children Centre Nurseries: Four creative sessions with early years children to make work were run in April & May with two workshops in Pellon and two in Todmorden. The creative outputs of these 3 to 5 year olds were transformed into two stunning art works by artist Dani Lovett, for one of our art exhibitions. These collaborative creations are now back with the nurseries to brighten the walls.
Year 9 & 10 students at Rastrick High School, Rastrick: Seven post school sessions were organised with ceramic artist Katie Bates, working with year 9 and 10 students aged 13-15 using different clays, including wild clay, and coloured slips. The young people designed, built and decorated slipware jugs for our Elland art exhibitions (which can also be used as GCSE art submissions). Staff benefitted by joining the creative sessions and learning new ceramics building and technical skills, which can be used in school in the future to develop the creative curriculum. We also recruited our five wonderful junior members of our community chorus for our performance from the Rastrick High School senior and chamber choirs.
WomenCentre, Halifax: We ran a creative course over 6 weeks from April to June in which centre members worked with Sandra McCracken, a professional artist to make masks, puppets and props for our performance.
Project Colt, Elland: Working with Jonny Quick, a theatre set maker, artist, puppet-maker and puppeteer / actor Colt users participated in a 4 week creative course in May & June to make venue dressings, props and masks for our performance. We offered a walk and draw workshop with Sally Barker and Paul Knights to make work for our art exhibitions, and a July exhibition was hosted for over two weeks in Project Colt's wonderful and welcoming community centre in Elland.
The Space Community Hub, Rastrick. Following a wonderful writing workshop with playwright Amanda Dalton, a 6-week creative course to make theatrical elements for our performance ran from April to June open to all centre users. The Space was also our partner and host for our Saturday 15 June Community Creative Day in Rastrick. Members of The Space were our guests in the audience at Elland.
Calder Community Cares, Cornholme, Todmorden: An exciting writing workshop with playwright Amanda Dalton kick started the project with The Lionesses of the Valley, a peer support group for women established by Calder Community Cares. Following this our six week creative course held over May and June saw the group learning to make masks and puppet elements alongside props, for our performance. The Lionesses were our community partner and co-host for our Saturday 1 June Community Creative Day in Todmorden. The Lionesses also joined us as audience members as our guests at the performances in Hebden Bridge.
Time Out, Calderdale wide (part of Healthy Minds Calderdale): Calderdale based 8-16 years olds were invited, via Time Out, to attend one of four drama workshops we ran over the Easter holidays in Halifax and Hebden Bridge. Youngsters were able to work with director Andy Barry, and designer and puppet-maker Alison Duddle. From these 4 workshops which we drew 4 of our youth community cast members, who appeared in our performances as actors and puppeteers.
St Augustine’s Centre, Halifax: We partnered for the fourth time with St Augustines, and from May we ran a 4 week creative course for sanctuary seekers, with our artist Sue Walpole working with centre members to make puppet elements, masks and set dressings for our performance. In July we organised and ran a special day for sanctuary seekers to volunteer with ForUsTree, an outdoor growing project in the Upper Valley. Participants of the workshops and their family members joined the audience in Elland, as our guests.
Halifax Opportunities Trust - Todmorden & Pellon's Children Centre Nurseries: Four creative sessions with early years children to make work were run in April & May with two workshops in Pellon and two in Todmorden. The creative outputs of these 3 to 5 year olds were transformed into two stunning art works by artist Dani Lovett, for one of our art exhibitions. These collaborative creations are now back with the nurseries to brighten the walls.
Year 9 & 10 students at Rastrick High School, Rastrick: Seven post school sessions were organised with ceramic artist Katie Bates, working with year 9 and 10 students aged 13-15 using different clays, including wild clay, and coloured slips. The young people designed, built and decorated slipware jugs for our Elland art exhibitions (which can also be used as GCSE art submissions). Staff benefitted by joining the creative sessions and learning new ceramics building and technical skills, which can be used in school in the future to develop the creative curriculum. We also recruited our five wonderful junior members of our community chorus for our performance from the Rastrick High School senior and chamber choirs.