Everyday creativity: a research workshop
Everyday creativity challenges the idea that art is only something that artists do by exploring the many and diverse creative and cultural activities that people do every day at home or in their community. But how do we capture the value of everyday creativity and the difference it makes to people and communities?
In this interactive workshop, you’ll help us refine the scope of our next research review so it’s as useful and relevant as possible to cultural practitioners, voluntary and community groups, participatory arts organisations and those who fund cultural activity and develop cultural policy.
Our research review will examine the evidence base surrounding everyday creativity. It will explore the value of activities that are facilitated by amateur or voluntary groups in shared community spaces, and activity that is self-initiated and takes place at home. The themes within this will be shaped and refined with your input.
The workshop won’t cover everyday creativity that’s facilitated by professional artists as there is already a focus on this area and we want to shine a light on the evidence around voluntary, amateur and self-facilitated activity.
Shaping our research topic – where should we focus?
The workshop will be facilitated by Chuck Lowry and we’ll also have guest contributors who are working in this field (names to be confirmed).
We’ll start by introducing the initial scoping we have done in this area. Then we’ll work together as a group to define the questions and sub-topics you would find most useful for us to include in the research review.
Who’s this workshop for?
You’ll be working in voluntary / amateur / community settings, with experience or interest in creative activities. Or you might be a researcher or policy maker with a specific interest in this area. Please note the workshop won’t include a focus on work that’s facilitated by professional artists.
The workshop has a limited number of spaces which are prioritised for people working in this area. It isn’t suitable for students.
What’s a research review?
We review and summarise existing research within a topic area and share these summary findings in an accessible digest, so it can usefully shape future practice and policy. Here’s an example of a research review into culture on referral programmes.
Please could you also fill out this short survey to help us shape the review by following the link here.
Accessibility
We want to make the webinar a positive experience for all participants. If you have particular access needs please let us know in advance at ccv@leeds.ac.uk
Live transcription by a palantypist (speech to text reporter) is provided for this session. Transcription will be available on Zoom captions, and on StreamText.net.
The session takes place on Zoom. Read Zoom’s accessibility FAQ’s here.
Image: Fun Palaces 2019. Photographer: Roswitha Chesher
Speakers
Zulfiqar Ahmed
An expert in community-led development work with a 25 year career in design, development and implementation of innovative social impact initiatives across the UK and internationally, Zulfiqar Ahmed has returned to Bradford where he has over 20 years’ experience, as Director of The Leap. The Leap is a transformative multi-million pound project helping local people play a leading role in determining a thriving arts and culture scene in their city and inspiring a future generation of cultural ambassadors.
Claudia Collins
Claudia is a local resident of Knowle West. She got involved with the Filwood Fantastic Project during lockdown with the Knowle West Beaches Project, where she built Sandcastles on the streets named after beaches.
Gareth Coles
Gareth Coles is the Wales Director of Creative Lives. Creative Lives (formerly Voluntary Arts) exists to celebrate, encourage and champion people expressing themselves creatively in their everyday lives and practising their creativity socially with other people.
Prior to joining Creative Lives, Gareth worked as a Senior Policy Officer for the Wales Council for Voluntary Action in Cardiff. Previously he worked as a Development Officer for the National Council for Voluntary Organisations in London, and as a Grants Officer for the Community Fund. Gareth has an MA in Medieval Art History from the Courtauld Institute of Art.
Makala Cheung
Makala Cheung is a community activist and creative, from Bristol. She is Co-director at Fun Palaces, Creative Director at Filwood Community Centre, music artist KALA CHNG, co-founder at BESEA TV, Culture Ambassador (China Bureau), and one of the city’s first voted Happiness Champions.
Previous work includes leading Engagement projects at Knowle West Media Centre, volunteering with community groups and running community festivals.
Commissions include A New Song For Bristol (Bristol Beacon), We Can Make chat show and Homecoming (KWMC), and City Running (MAYK). Performances and features include Bristol Harbourside, Pride, Chinese New Year (Trafalgar Square), London Live, and BBC Radio (local to national).
Jo Hunter
Jo Hunter is the Co-Founder and CEO of 64 Million Artists. 64 Million Artists believe that everyone is creative, and that when we are creative, we can make positive change in our lives and in the world around us. They aim to work collectively to catalyse the creativity of everyone in the UK.
She was formally Head of Strategic Development at BAC and has worked in senior leadership positions at Sing Up and Harbourfront Centre Toronto. She is a fellow of the Clore Leadership Programme.
Chuck Blue Lowry
Chuck Blue Lowry is an artist, filmmaker and facilitator. She specialises in art as social practice, with a particular focus on intergenerational exchange and storytelling. She is interested in making work that platforms the voices of those who are often under or misrepresented. She is an associate artist with Magic Me and a lecturer at Central School of Speech and Drama and Central Saint Martins.
Chuck’s work has been presented at Tate Modern, BFI, WOW Festival, LSFF, Battersea Arts Centre and Whitechapel Gallery. She has been commissioned by Clean Break, Cardboard Citizens, METAL, The Yard Theatre and The Barbican.