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Trust Projects
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Trust Projects | | |||||
Five Fellows took part in an exciting project at the Howard Centre, Welwyn Garden City, during the October half-term 2005. A vacant shop premises was taken over for art workshops, and by the end of the week a huge map of the centre had been created by the children taking part. This was hung in the main entrance of the Howard Centre. Art, Work, Shop was funded jointly by the Howard Centre and a match-funding from Arts & Business.
Welwyn Hatfield's multi-cultural Festival took place on a glorious, hot day in July 2005 and was a great success, with around 8-10,000 visitors during the day. Digswell coordinated the arts and crafts marquee and ran children's workshops all day. Children created a number of huge colourful vegetables which were on display outside the marquee. Four Fellows gave up their time on the day and others gave their time in preparations for the event.
Greenheart is a partnership project run by Arts Council England East, Herts County Council, all the District Councils in Hertfordshire and the Lee Valley Regional Park Authority. It is expected to invest £1 million in the arts in Hertfordshire over the next three years. Digswell took part in the launch at UH's Weston Auditorium. Digswell, Roebuck School, Stevenage and the English Sinfonia developed art related to the 'Urban Elephant' - the statue outside the Stevenage Museum. David Kefford worked with children taking them to look at the elephant and other sculptures around the town. Back at school they made sculptures derived from their experiences. English Sinfonia also worked with the children to produce a brilliant musical performance based on a story they made up about the 'Urban Elephant'.
Digswell Fellows were invited to hold an exhibition at the New Maynard Gallery in Welwyn Garden City in May/June 2005. Seventeen artists took part in one of the New Maynard's most successful exhibitions. The exhibition was coordinated by Linda Anderson, Barn Fellow.
In September 2004 Digswell hosted the launch of Stevenage's own multicultural festival at the Fairlands Valley Farmhouse in Stevenage - about 100 people attended. On a hot day Digswell Fellows David Kefford and Sarah Evans worked together with a collection of fairly small children to produce banners to be displayed in the garden later in the day and workshops were given by two Rappers from Rapattack in Stevenage and two London percussionists. The Stevenage Caribbean and African Association provided food and there were other stalls too. The day culminated in a performance by the Celebrate!! choir in front of an array of banners, accompanied by everyone else on percussion instruments made during the day.
The Trust is keen to involve itself in the local community and has recently been involved in projects designed to help young people and women returners get a better start in working life.
The Trust, in partnership with the Hertfordshire Tec and over twenty other local agencies, was successful in obtaining funding from the European Social Fund to provide projects for young people and women returners, mainly from Stevenage, to help them get a better start in working life.
Ken Follett, world famous author, who opened an exhibition of work by participants in the project said
"In a time where most people will not remain in one career for their whole life, everyone needs the imagination to see new career possibilities they might enjoy and confidence to seek out the opportunities in those careers. I am sure these projects will help the participants on the path to a new career whether in the arts or somewhere else and they have produced some beautiful pieces of art on the way. I congratulate the Trust and the artists on their initiative and the participants for their success on the courses."
The projects were intended to build self confidence, unlock creativity and introduce people to the possibilities of art as a career path. Projects were run in the autumn of last year and some excellent art has been produced and potential artists of talent identified.
In all about a dozen young people and twenty women returners took part in these pilot projects. All were people with little experience of the arts. Fellows of the Trust provided training.
One participant is now looking to start her own business, another continues to make jewellery at home and yet another has a place on an "Access" course at the University of Hertfordshire.
"I was amazed at what I managed to produce, I didn't know I had it in me" (Ceramics course participant).
"The combination of sound basics, the encouragement of experimentation backed up by business advice was invaluable" (Participant on Jewellery course)
Administrator George Woodcraft said,
"This new project was a really exciting development for the Trust. We have discovered some talented artists who, with further training, could become professional. We are very grateful to the European Social Fund for providing the funding to support these activities in Stevenage and to the Hertfordshire Tec for all the support and encouragement they have given the Trust in getting these projects off the ground. We are now seeking funding for continuation of the projects in 1999".
Millennium Festival - The Sustainability Experience RoadshowThe sustainability project was completed successfully in October 2000 and an evaluation report was submitted to the Trust at their January 2001 meeting (hard copies available from the Administrator by request at a cost of £5.00 to cover copying, postage and packing) There were four projects directly involving the community in producing art works which illustrated aspects of the sustainable economy: A waste based recycling project; a transport project, an energy project and a water pollution project. Nearly 200 adults and children took a direct part in producing the works which were then exhibited at 9 events round the county. These events included the County Show at Redbourn; Hatfield Carnival, Stevenage Day, the Watford Rainbow Festival and the Lea Valley Festival. The projects were visited by 8,500 people and 400 people took part in workshops at the 9 events at which the projects were exhibited. A successful conference was held in November on Art and the Environment where all the works from the project were exhibited. Hertfordshire County Council "....the partnership between Digswell Arts Trust and the County Council has been a unique and rewarding experience for all involved, and the project has raised environmental awareness among a broad spectrum of Hertfordshire's population". Participant: "I thought the projecty was really cool because it was fun and I learnt that we should look more at nature and we should all recycle rubbish". Artist: "I would like to work with community groups again, probably with young people - they have great ideas and are not afraid to share them or to try out new things".
Project Funding from:
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 The Bull-Headed Fish - Work made at a workshop by adults at Watford Museum and Year 6 pupils from the Field Junior School Watford. Facilitated by Rachel Jeffrey and Denise Stonebridge  Wheels - Work made by young people from the Wheels Motor Project Stevenage, Facilitated by Stella Cutbill  Work made by pupils from Sir John Lawes School Harpenden. Facilitated by Kate Cooke and Juan Yusta  We're doing our bit - Work made by young unemployed people from the North Herts area. Facilitated by Tony Delany |
TRAINING OPPORTUNITY FOR ARTISTS, MAKERS AND PHOTOGRAPHERS, April 2000
The first two days were about the nitty gritty of being self employed - how to set up in business and how to manage your finances. The next two days were on presentation, promotion, exhibiting and career development. The first two days had over twenty people each, the next two days were full to more than capacity - we had to turn people away.
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This four-day programme was intended to help people who would like to earn their living from their art or craft and encourage them to take the plunge and become self employed artists.
The course was directed by Wendy Mason with additional help from outside speakers who gave everybody the benefit of their practical experience either from the technical point of view (drawing up a business plan) or from being a real live artist living from their art.
The courses were run in partnership with the University of Hertfordshire and the Eastern Arts Board who provided excellent support and facilities. The programme was part funded by the European Social Fund as part of their programme of capacity building in the voluntary sector and Eastern Arts Board also provided funding.
