Creative Progression A programme of arts activity for adults at risk of homelessness in Newcastle upon Tyne Overview Creative Progression is an ongoing programme of arts activities targeted at adults who are homeless (or at risk of homelessness) and have mental health issues in Newcastle upon Tyne. Through an initial two year programme of high quality creative activities, the project will allow people accessing the project opportunities to explore what ‘progression’ means for them and help them to make steps along their journey. Programme Aims The key aims of the Creative Progression project are to: Provide sustainable opportunities for homeless adults (or adults at risk of homelessness) to take part in high quality arts activities. Enable homeless adults to explore what progression means for them in a creative way. Provide a safe environment that will allow them to challenge and disrupt limiting personal and collective identities. Help participants develop new skills and interests. If appropriate, to help participants to progress onto further creative activity by enabling them to produce individual portfolios of work and/or documentation of involvement which can be used by the participants to access progression routes. Support participants to access help from different agencies in order to achieve progression in their lives. The programme will achieve these in four ways: 1. Engagement This programme offers a means to engage people who might be otherwise wary of getting involved with learning or training, either due to previous poor experiences or a lack of confidence in their own prospects. It builds on participants’ prior creative experiences and interests, and offers the potential to try exciting and fun new activity. 2. Understanding what progression means for them - Broadening horizons and raising ambition Many of the issues that keep people at a distance from the labour market are associated with personal and community identity – e.g. people’s perception of their own abilities, how they think about and relate to other people, the limits of their world in their own minds. This programme will enable people to: Try new things, and go to new places Meet new types of people See the world differently Create new stories about yourself Find their voice and communicate their strengths more effectively to others 1 3. Developing New (Creative) Skills This programme will enable participants to develop new skills, both in terms of the creative skills associated with the art form they are working in, but also basic employability skills around: Literacy and numeracy IT use Communication and relating to the others Negotiating and team working 4. Offering Progression Routes The purpose of this programme is to help participants explore what progression means for them, and so there are likely to be many different types of individual achievement which represent progression in that person’s life. These could include: Achieving a more settled housing situation Stabilising their family situation – e.g. improving relationship with partners or access to children A reduction in drug or alcohol consumption Regular attendance at support services or formal training However, there are specific types of progression which this project will enable participants to consider, and which the project will actively promote: Regular attendance at creative sessions to produce a portfolio of work, which can then be used to progress onto further training and education Volunteering with arts activities and cultural events Skills development Participation in a “next steps” access programme which enables participants to enter Further Education Delivery Creative Progression delivers a series of arts activities in Newcastle upon Tyne two days per week at Crisis Skylight. The programme runs on 25 week cycles which involve three phases: development/artist recruitment workshop delivery exhibition/presentation of artwork Participants are able to enter and leave the programme at any time. Participants are referred onto the programme by five key service providers who have existing relationships with homeless adults in Newcastle upon Tyne. These are: Crisis Skylight Newcastle Tyneside Cyrenians Homeless multi-agency group Newcastle Community Safety (anti-social behaviour) Unit Day Activities Consortium Mental Health Link Worker Although participants referred to the project have chaotic lifestyles, they will have shown that they want to engage with activities which will help them to shift from their current circumstances. 2 Approximately 15-20 participants access the programme at any one time. The average attendance at each workshop is expected to be six people. Key Achievements Since October 2009, the project has made the following key achievements: Production of six short documentary films premiered at Tyneside Cinema in March 2010. The films have also been screened at BALTIC, Centre for Contemporary Art as part of the Northern Lights Film Festival and on the Community Channel. Publication of ‘The Hidden City’, an anthology of creative writing mapping experiences of homelessness. Programme Plans for 2010/2011 In 2010/2011 we will deliver a series of high quality, challenging and dynamic arts activities and workshops facilitated by professional artists. The programme of activity for 2010/2011 includes: A six month programme of tailored and tapered support to help the group who previously undertook a programme of documentary filmmaking in 2009/10 to produce films and develop a business plan/secure funding to establish their own film company/collective. A six month drama programme to further develop writing emerging from The Hidden City into a play to be performed within a professional theatre in Newcastle. 60 two hour creative workshops (activities to be confirmed). 140 hours of one-to-one mentoring for the participants by the artists working on the programme to help them develop individual portfolios of work and make links to the cultural life of the city. Weekly one-to-one support for the participants from Crisis Skylight Newcastle Progression Coordinators to help them identify progression routes Developing relationships and sign posting participants to services provided by external agencies across the city to provide access to education, training or volunteering opportunities. Management and administration The Creative Progression programme is managed and administered by Helix Arts, Crisis Skylight Newcastle and Tyneside Cyrenians. A number of key structures are in place on the project to help support and deliver the programme successfully. These include: Monthly Case Management Group meetings to discuss each participant’s progress and help to develop new progression strategies. Quarterly Partners Group meetings to oversee delivery of programme objectives. 3 Bi-annual Programme Strategy Group meetings to link the arts programme to wider support activities/services for homeless adults. In addition, an Activities Support Worker coordinates and supports the delivery of each workshop. Evaluation An independent researcher is in place to evaluate and assess the impact of the arts programme on the participants in order to inform future projects and to disseminate models of good practice to the wider public. Project Partners The Creative Progression Programme is a collaboration between: Helix Arts Helix Arts works with artists, in partnership with public and voluntary sector organisations, to create opportunities for people to participate in high quality arts activity. Our Vision is based on our belief that participation in creative activity is fundamental to the well-being of individuals and communities and therefore should be accessible to all. Our Mission is to increase equality of opportunity for people to participate in the arts and our focus is on those who currently have least opportunity including: children and young people at risk; unemployed adults and employed people on low incomes; people living in deprived neighbourhoods; those with special educational needs; and people with poor health, particularly the elderly. In a typical year Helix Arts works with 30 to 50 artists, selected for their ability to coproduce high-quality art through a participatory process. We work across a range of art form areas. Helix Arts has charitable status and is revenue funded by Arts Council England, North East. For further information, please visit www.helixarts.com Crisis Skylight Crisis is the national charity for single homeless people dedicated to ending homelessness by delivering life-changing services and campaigning for change. Crisis’ innovative education, employment, housing and well-being services address individual needs and help people to transform their lives. Crisis Skylight Newcastle is an education, training and employment centre for homeless and vulnerably-housed people in the heart of Newcastle offering practical and creative workshops in a supportive and inspiring environment together with formal learning opportunities that lead to qualifications and finding work. Classes include art, car maintenance, ESOL, meditation and yoga, IT and creative writing. The Cyrenians The Cyrenians is one of the country’s leading and most progressive homeless charities. Dedicated and committed to delivering a diverse and expanding range of services 4 including residential, resettlement, rehabilitation, day centre provision and outreach, to an often neglected and hidden part of the community. Their innovative approach to reaching vulnerable and disadvantaged groups, places people at the centre of their services and has led to groundbreaking projects, which make real difference to the lives of many people every day. 2010 is the 40th anniversary of the charity’s foundation. Originally known as 'Tyneside Cyrenians' it provided services for people 'sleeping rough' in the city of Newcastle. Forty years on The Cyrenians has been announced as one of the best organisations to work for in the UK, achieving 2 Star Status in the ‘Best Companies to Work For’ survey of 2010 and was National Charity of the Year in 2008. Project Funding The 2009/2011 programme is funded by Newcastle Working Neighbourhoods Fund. 5