Tag: Community Arts

Meet Maddi Nicholson: joining our panel of judges for our Community Arts Writing Award 2025

We’re delighted to confirm that Maddi Nicholson, freelance Artist and founder director of Art Gene, a visual art charity and Arts Council NPO in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria is joining our panel of judges for our Community Arts Award 2025.

Art Gene’s research remit extends across a program of environmentally aware placemaking, socially engaged art projects, residencies, exhibitions, and education work focusing on the role and engagement of artists and communities in the revisioning of their social, natural and built environment. 

As an Artist Maddi produces challenging work for varied and diverse situations nationwide, video, cast iron and stitched works to huge paintings, signage and inflated and recycled plastic sculptures.

Works range from an inflated replica of a Barrow terraced house due for demolition, in ‘Going home from here’ which toured beauty spots in Cumbria, to a set of cast iron enamelled terraced house models, commenting on the lives of 18th and 19th Century working class women in Spinningfields Manchester in ‘a place lived’. 

Her Art Gene art works include the Roker Pods for Sunderland City Council: spherical mobile eco off grid pods on the beach and the prom, as café, education and events facilities.  The Peoples Museum on Piel Island, for Barrow Borough Council; including a cabinet of curiosities, repurposed engraved tables, beer maps and the islands of Barrow Map. Seldom Seen Maps and Mobile Apps walking tours for coastal areas of Cumbria and Lancashire. Razzle Dazzle bird hides as education resources with interior artwork interpretation for Cumbria Wildlife Trust. Walney Island Nature reserve, mobile App walking tour and non civic war memorial gate and sculpture for Natural England’s North Walney Island national nature reserve. 

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Community Arts Writing Award 2025: meet our judges!

We’re delighted our Writing Award competition has been joined by five long standing friends, advocates and practitioners in Community Arts. You can read more about them below.

Emily Bowman is Managing Director of Junction Arts, a leading organisation for participatory arts in the UK. Emily champions community-led creative initiatives that foster cultural engagement and social impact. Previously, she served as Deputy CEO of The Mighty Creatives. She is dedicated to ensuring that communities have access to meaningful cultural experiences. She believes in the power of the arts to bring people together, amplify voices, and drive positive change, working to create opportunities where creativity can thrive at a grassroots level.

Emily has over 20 years of experience in the creative sector, with a background in performance and arts leadership. She is deeply committed to arts, culture, and creativity, with a particular focus on co-producing high-quality, inclusive programmes that engage and empower communities.  Throughout her career, Emily has worked with a range of cultural organisations, beginning as an actor and facilitator in international productions. She has extensive expertise in facilitation, producing, fundraising, project development, and cultural leadership. Her passion lies in interdisciplinary, collaborative, and participatory work, co-producing projects that respond to community needs and aspirations. 

Beyond her role at Junction Arts, Emily is a trustee for Hubbub Theatre and an Area Council member for Arts Council England in the Midlands. She also chairs the Culture & Place group for Bolsover and sits on the Neighbourhood Board for Chesterfield, actively contributing to regional cultural strategy and community development. 

Emily Bowman

Rob Elkington MBE is Director of Arts Connect. His work in creative and cultural education includes leading a young people’s theatre company, working on national creativity in education programmes, leading the regional Bridge infrastructure programme in the West Midlands and for major national organisations in local partnership development roles. What connects this work is an interest in system wide improvement that leads to social justice ends and democratisation of arts and culture. He is a fellow of the Clore Leadership Programme, a Trustee of the Cultural Learning Alliance and is Chair of the Black Country Music Hub Board.

Rob Elkington MBE

Anissa Ladjemi is a Community Arts Drama Graduate from 2004. She currently works with those with life-limiting health conditions, supporting them to get what they are entitled to and advising them on their rights, while giving a listening ear. She has run youth theatres and art projects around the world but fell into the third sector during the years of austerity. She has worked with local government and organisations that support and advocate for the homeless, those with mental health issues and learning disabilities. She found working in the third sector allows her to use her creative side. Her arts background has helped her to communicate openly and problem solve, needed when working with those whose voices are often overlooked.  She says: “Every career plan I made ended up taking me down a very different path than I planned. It wasn’t always easy but it has certainly been fulfilling and interesting. I guess you could say that working with people is what drives and inspires me. Thank you to Nick and Roger who took a chance on me the day I walked into the LIPA audition. When my school teacher said ”good luck but you will never get in there”, thankfully he was wrong!”

Anissa Ladjemi

Maddi Nicholson is a freelance Artist and founder director of Art Gene, a visual art charity and Arts Council NPO in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria. Art Gene’s research remit extends across a program of environmentally aware placemaking, socially engaged art projects, residencies, exhibitions, and education work focusing on the role and engagement of artists and communities in the revisioning of their social, natural and built environment. As an Artist Maddi produces challenging work for varied and diverse situations nationwide, video, cast iron and stitched works to huge paintings, signage and inflated and recycled plastic sculptures.

Works range from an inflated replica of a Barrow terraced house due for demolition, in ‘Going home from here’ which toured beauty spots in Cumbria, to a set of cast iron enamelled terraced house models, commenting on the lives of 18th and 19th Century working class women in Spinningfields Manchester in ‘a place lived’.  Her Art Gene art works include the Roker Pods for Sunderland City Council: spherical mobile eco off grid pods on the beach and the prom, as café, education and events facilities.  The Peoples Museum on Piel Island, for Barrow Borough Council; including a cabinet of curiosities, repurposed engraved tables, beer maps and the islands of Barrow Map. Seldom Seen Maps and Mobile Apps walking tours for coastal areas of Cumbria and Lancashire. Razzle Dazzle bird hides as education resources with interior artwork interpretation for Cumbria Wildlife Trust. Walney Island Nature reserve, mobile App walking tour and non civic war memorial gate and sculpture for Natural England’s North Walney Island national nature reserve. 

Maddi Nicholson

Bee Patience is Communications and Marketing Manager at The Mighty Creatives in Leicester. She graduated from the University of Nottingham with a first-class BA(hons) in Creative and Professional Writing. She started her career as a creative practitioner, delivering creative writing and poetry workshops in schools. Since then, she has completed CIM qualifications and spent more than 12 years working in marketing; first in the fast-paced world of EdTech and now in the charity sector. She is Nottingham Poetry Society’s 2012 Poetry Slam winner and founded the Run Your Tongue spoken word night in her hometown of Kettering. 

Bee Patience

More news on future judges to follow!

Interested in applying for the award? You can download the application pack here:

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What is Art? Reflections from Anissa Ladjemi

After graduation from LIPA, Anissa Ladjemi took a trip to Norway via the EU which turned into four years of Arts work in Europe and South America which changed her life and where her creativity was embraced wholeheartedly. She came back to find little Community Arts work in the UK so diversified into local government and charity work. She now advocates and works for people with life limiting health conditions which she enjoys. She says “LIPA opened so many doors for me and allowed me to see a world beyond the UK and its restrictions. I loved the opportunity it gave me. It sent me on an unexpected path of self discovery and fun. Sadly we will never look as good as we did the year we graduated from LIPA.” Here she writes about how her time at LIPA transformed her understanding of what art is.

What is Art?

In 2001 at LIPA I attended a discussion group called What is Art? A  community music student, Tom used me as an example of the human body being a work of Art and made me stand up while he spoke. We take it for granted everyday but we would be nowhere without it, everybody is unique and your body is unique. You have scars all over you from medical procedures and you’re still here. Your scars are your very own tattoos. They tell the story of your body and all it has endured and survived.  Your imperfections give you grace and strength. As time goes on you will look back and wish you looked like you did today imperfectly young and beautiful. 

The joy of a body that works is the greatest gift so enjoy it and never take it for granted! It really stayed with me as nobody had taken the time to appreciate my imperfections including myself. At first I was embarrassed but Tom wherever you may be, thank you for always saying something positive and true to me even when I wasn’t ready to accept the compliments. These days I always acknowledge a compliment and you taught me that. 

 I attended an Art exhibition with Roger Hill in 2004. It was about an artist whose husband had died of cystic fibrosis. To deal with her grief, she had decided to pay homage to him via an art exhibition which included a big inflatable penis and the artist bowing to the penis with lots of images of bondage and S and M. I had previously had a conversation with Roger regarding my frustration about the fact that society labels those with disabilities and health conditions as non sexual beings and incapable of being desired or loved: so people assume they must be with people like them and can’t be desired by able bodied people.

By seeing this exhibition, as much as it was uncomfortable and intense at times, (each to their own but S and M is not my thing) it made me realise that not everybody feels this way, that those from minority groups and those with disabilities are desired by many people but mainly those who are open minded enough and willing to not see it as a barrier. 

I was grateful Roger had invited me in the first place as many students refused to attend. Was it his way of saying it doesn’t matter what others think and don’t let society’s expectations stop you from being free? When asked about the exhibition and the discussion on art, Roger said “It captures the quality of the education we were offering so well – feelings and intuitions and discoveries“. I feel society has tried to put me in a box my entire life but we all have the power to step out of the box and be true to ourselves.

The exhibition stayed with me because it was the first time I had seen a person with a health condition talk about sex openly and who dispelled the myth that disabled people are sexless and unlovable. 

Launching the Community Arts Writing Award

2025 / 2026 marks the 30th anniversary of the launch of  Community Arts undergraduate programme at Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts.  Since the programme recruited its first students in 1995, many hundreds of LIPA alumni have gone to enthuse, inspire and engage people in the arts, culture and creativity from all over the world, as a result of the practice and practitioners they encountered in their time at LIPA.

To mark this anniversary, ex-students and staff are organising a reunion for their peers and other interested colleagues to be held between 8 and 10 August 2025 at LIPA itself and across Liverpool. This reunion will coincide with the publication of “The Not-the-Reunion Reunion Anthology”, produced by Nick Owen Publishing (NOP) to mark the anniversary and which will contain memories, reflections and provocations from those students and staff who contributed to the development of the programme all those years ago.

The organisers of the reunion now want to invite artists, educators, policy makers, arts development workers, students – anyone and everyone – to submit an essay which provides a perspective and provocation on the history and future of community arts practice.

Three winning essays will be published in “The Not-the-Reunion Reunion Anthology: one of those essays will also win a £500 prize.  The three winning writers will also be invited to read out their work at the reunion weekend.

You can download the application pack here:

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Anyone up for a Harry Potter Community Drama workshop?

I like to imagine that much of Popular Culture was forged from Community Arts workshop practice.  After all, the international phenomenon that is Blood Brothers started life as a theatre in education piece touring primary schools; Squid Game is nothing more than a reworking of Grandma’s Footsteps (with Kalashnikovs) and the recent meeja mover and shaker – The Traitors – can trace its DNA back to the classic drama workshop warm up exercise, Wink Murder. There’s nothing it seems Community Arts practice can’t see itself in when it comes to understanding Popular Culture. Perhaps this is understandable, given that you might like to believe that ‘popular’ has something to do with the notion of the communities we live in.  As Co-pilot likes to point out:

“Defining the origins and influence of community arts practice can sometimes blur the lines between grassroots creativity and mainstream success. The intersection where local traditions meet widespread acclaim often creates a fertile ground for the birth of popular culture.”

‘Fair point, Co-Pilot,’ I think but ask in return, “but what about current Community Arts practice then?  How does that look different to what we used to recognise as Community Arts practice? After all,  it’s been about 20 years since I last set foot in a proper community arts workshop. 

I imagine that It’ll be like trying to ride a bike again after having been off the roads only to find that the pleasant country lanes you used to amble down have turned into dual carriageways and are infested by speed cameras. Remembering all the necessary moves, the highway code and how to navigate people through these processes has all coming flooding back in the strangest of moments. I’d forgotten the delights and possibilities of ‘Gnomes, Witches and Elves’ until writing this blog and straight away I’m wondering about the Popular Culture spin offs.  Perhaps Co-Pilot will know?

Of course, one of the first things you had to get to grips with early on was the dreaded name game; an attempt to elicit some information from your participants about who they are, where they’re from and what their favourite pot noodle is. This gets problematic when you forget the rules so that some poor unfortunate soul at the end of a circle of 42 people has to remember everyone else’s names, gestures and personal morning habits. It gets even more problematic if you’ve spent many of your last ten years in bars of various descriptions only to find yourself with your memory shot to pieces, and unable to remember the name of anyone who you last spoke to not just 5 seconds ago.

The advent of Facebook, Insta, Diddly-Squat.Com and all those other social meeja channels means that personal disclosure in this context is now a lot more problematic. There are now many distinct possibilities for you to get to know much more about your fellow participants and workshop leader than they may feel comfortable with disclosing during those early first session gambits. You can find out various intimate things about them, read opinions about them and formulate your own idea about who you’re working with to a much greater degree than you could in 2005. The naming of your fellow participants is not only the problematic naming ceremony in this neck of the cultural woods. The naming of the practice – “Community Arts” – still causes many people to come out in a kind of ideological rash.

“Community Arts – What’s That Then?” was a common gag at LIPA thirty years ago and it still leads to endless hours of description, analysis and definition amongst everyone who finds themselves embroiled in its reach.  Over the years it’s been recast as ‘participatory arts’; as ‘arts in a social context’; as ‘voluntary arts’ and all manner of other descriptions which desperately try to avoid the ‘c’ word. This is hardly surprising given how the ‘c’ word has been misappropriated by so many over so long; but nevertheless, the preponderance of alternatives never quite manages to kill the term, ‘Community Arts’, stone cold dead.

But in the time it’s taken to imagine the recombination and resurrection of Community Arts, Co-Pilot has managed to address these imaginations with it’s own speedy assessment of both ‘The Evolution of Community Arts Since 2005’ and  ‘The impact of ‘Gnomes, Witches and Elves’ on Popular Culture’ which you can read below, if you’re so inclined.

Anyone up for a Harry Potter workshop at this year’s reunion?

1. The Evolution of Community Arts Practice Since 2005 (as described by Co-Pilot)

Introduction

Community arts practice has undergone significant transformations since 2005. The changes in this field reflect broader societal shifts, technological advancements, and evolving cultural policies. This document explores these developments and their implications for community artists and the communities they serve.

Increased Technological Integration

One of the most notable changes in community arts practice since 2005 is the increased integration of technology. The advent of social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter has revolutionized how artists and communities interact. These platforms allow for greater visibility, networking, and collaboration, breaking down geographical barriers and enabling global community engagement. Digital tools and software have also enhanced the creative process, allowing for more sophisticated and accessible production of art forms. Online workshops, virtual exhibitions, and digital storytelling have become commonplace, expanding the reach and impact of community arts projects.

Shift in Terminology and Perception

The term “community arts” has evolved, with various alternative labels such as “participatory arts,” “arts in social contexts,” and “voluntary arts” emerging. This shift reflects an ongoing effort to redefine and broaden the scope of the practice, distancing it from preconceived notions and making it more inclusive. Despite these changes in terminology, the core principles of community arts—collaboration, inclusivity, and social impact—remain central. The new labels aim to encapsulate the diverse forms and approaches within the practice, acknowledging its dynamic and multifaceted nature.

Focus on Social Justice and Inclusion

Since 2005, there has been a heightened focus on social justice and inclusion within community arts practice. Projects increasingly address pressing social issues such as inequality, racism, and environmental sustainability. Artists work alongside marginalized communities to amplify their voices and foster social change. This shift towards activism and advocacy is reflected in the themes and methodologies of community arts projects. Participatory approaches that prioritize the experiences and perspectives of community members have become more prevalent, ensuring that the art produced is relevant and meaningful.

Professionalisation and Training

The professionalization of community arts practice has also accelerated since 2005. There is now greater recognition of the skills and expertise required to facilitate impactful community arts projects. This has led to the development of specialized training programs, certifications, and higher education courses dedicated to community arts. These initiatives aim to equip artists with the necessary tools and knowledge to navigate the complexities of working in diverse community settings. They also emphasize ethical considerations, ensuring that community arts practitioners are mindful of the power dynamics and responsibilities inherent in their work.

Challenges and Opportunities

While community arts practice has evolved positively in many respects, it also faces ongoing challenges. Funding remains a significant concern, with many projects reliant on short-term grants and precarious financial support. This unpredictability can hinder the sustainability and long-term impact of community arts initiatives. However, the evolving landscape also presents new opportunities. The increased visibility and legitimacy of community arts practice have opened doors to broader collaborations with institutions, organizations, and policymakers. These partnerships can provide more stable funding and greater resources, enhancing the potential for lasting social impact.

Case Study: Creative Partnerships

A pivotal moment in the evolution of community arts practice was the introduction of Creative Partnerships (CP) in 2002. This initiative aimed to integrate creative practitioners into schools, fostering a culture of creativity and innovation in education. Although CP officially ended in 2011, its influence persists. CP’s ethos was rooted in the principles of community arts, emphasizing collaboration, creativity, and inclusion. However, CP’s reluctance to explicitly align itself with community arts terminology highlighted ongoing tensions within the field regarding identity and recognition.   

(Author’s note:  thank you Co-Pilot.  My feelings entirely.  Community Arts seemed to have been completely written off the contemporary cultural education map in 2002 with the advent of Creative Partnerships and all its offspring and mutant cousins. One argument went that the basis of CP practice was based almost entirely on an ethos that is found in the roots, practice and theory of community arts: but given CP’s unending anxiety about claiming that it was never just an arts education programme, it was never then going to admit openly that the arts practice it was predicated upon was that of the ‘c’ word. That would have been a naming gambit one step too far.

Conclusion

The evolution of community arts practice since 2005 reflects broader cultural, technological, and social shifts. While the field has faced challenges, it has also seized opportunities to expand its reach, impact, and legitimacy. As community arts practitioners continue to navigate this dynamic landscape, their work remains crucial in fostering creativity, inclusion, and social change within communities.

2. The impact of ‘Gnomes, Witches, and Elves’ on Popular Culture (as described by Co-Pilot)

The children’s game ‘gnomes, witches, and elves’ has surprisingly left an indelible mark on popular culture. This simple, imaginative game has inspired numerous books, movies, and TV series that explore fantastical worlds filled with magic and mythical creatures. Its influence can be seen in globally beloved franchises such as “Harry Potter,” where the concepts of wizards and witches have been expanded into a rich, detailed universe, captivating audiences of all ages.

Beyond literature and film, the game has also found its way into various aspects of media and entertainment. Fantasy role-playing games like “Dungeons & Dragons” draw heavily on the archetypes of wizards, witches, and elves, allowing players to immerse themselves in epic adventures and magical quests. Even in fashion and art, the aesthetic of these mythical figures continues to inspire and shape trends, proving that a simple childhood game can have a profound and lasting impact on the broader tapestry of popular culture.

(Author’s Note: By the way, which one of you’s Harry?)