MEGHAN O'MALLEY
The Creative Industries Project (CIP) was an Arthouse and Achieving Potential programme which ran from 2021 –2022 and was designed to increase SHP service users' access to the arts and creative industries.
The project engaged over 100 service users, delivered 12 eight-week creative courses and supported participants into 69 next step opportunities. These included a two-month paid placement at The Old Vic Theatre working on a main stage production, an apprenticeship in rail track maintenance, a volunteer placement at The British Museum a screenwriting course at Iconic Steps, and a paid two-month carpentry placement at leading set build company ‘Fables Creative.
The participants of the Creative Industries Project were service users supported by a wide range of SHP services. These included; Mental Health, Multiple Disadvantage, Refugee Resettlement, Floating Support, Recovery, Vulnerable Adults and Young People services.
“This course has been a lifeline” - CIP Participant
CIP Participants either took part in one of our in-house eight-week courses in film making, jewellery making or carpentry, or took on a placement, training or work experience opportunity in the creative industries, or both!
The Jewellery Making Course
The Carpentry Course
Jewellery Participants designed, made, branded and sold their original jewellery collections led by award winning social enterprise Pivot Jewellery. The Jewellery groups set up their stalls at Oval Market, Spitalfields Market and Telegraph Hill Market. The groups also photographed their collections to be sold online at SHP Arthouse’s first ever online shop!
Carpentry participants designed and then handmade items including stools, benches, spice racks, boxes, desks, chests, tables and even an ipad stand! This course was delivered by Woodwork for Wellbeing and supported by our fantastic volunteers. An amazing 45% of course participants have, since completing their CIP course, chosen to attend Woodwork for Wellbeing’s weekly external community carpentry sessions.
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“It was brilliant getting back on my feet again and getting my confidence back” - CIP participant
The Film-making Course
Film Courses were led by four fantastic facilitators and professional filmmakers whose previous work have included credits with Vogue, Channel 4 and the BBC. CIP Film courses varied in form with groups working with film styles; documentary, video art and music video. The course participants worked both behind the camera and in front of it. They worked from creative stimulus including, their local community, a visit to immersive art installation Superblue and an un-released track by band Dirty Freud!
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In June we marked the end of the programme; with an exciting celebration and exhibition of participants creative work at The Old Diorama Arts Center. Over 50 CIP Participants, SHP staff and CIP facilitators and partners enjoyed an evening celebrating CIP participants fantastic achievements.
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“I have just loved coming here each week and meeting everyone because otherwise I spend a lot of time alone” - CIP participant
CIP has confirmed for us that engagement in our Opportunities Programme is a fantastic gateway for service users into engagement in ETE support.
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A fantastic 81% of CIP participants chose to engage with ETE services at the end of their creative CIP course and 90% of CIP course participants said that taking part in the programme has ‘increased their motivation to work towards a job role’.