Priceless

This page – Barter: Concept illustration of Dalkeith Barter poster campaign

We are Artlink, an organisation that puts artists in partnership with people with learning disabilities.

Left – Barter: George wearing the T shirt made from his paintings Below – Barter: Detail of George’s T-shirt made by Emily Millichip

We’ve been creating some imaginative projects in Midlothian. Small businesses and individuals have given their time, their skills and their creative spirit to this venture.

And what they receive in return is priceless...

In Rosslynlee, a vintage car company received a beautiful hand painted sign to advertise their business. In exchange, they took the people who made the sign out for a series of jaunts through the countryside in a vintage Rolls Royce.

Above – Barter: House sign for vintage car owner Right – Barter: Hat created by Lorna Kulik and Maggie Mowbray

In Humbie, East Lothian, members of our art workshops created patisserie-themed fascinators for a high-class cookery school, adding a creative edge to their service, something they couldn’t have got anywhere else. As a thank you, the catering company organised some exciting cookery classes for our group.

Everything we do is based on a belief in each individual’s potential, and in the power of creativity to change lives.

Our Barter Project has met with huge enthusiasm from the local community. The businesses have received beautiful artworks and the individuals with learning disabilities have received experiences that have broadened their horizons.

Everyone gets something uplifting and valuable from it.

In recent projects, our groups have worked with traditional musicians, a magician, an organic farm, a residential home and a homing pigeon club.

Above – Barter: Toy jigsaw for Whitmuir Organics, drawings by Nicholas Trayner, design by James McLardy

The organisations involved have found out how good it feels to give something back, to feel connected to their community.

The individuals with learning disabilities have had the chance to contribute something creative and worthwhile, to learn new skills, to be appreciated as active citizens rather than passive recipients of care. And that’s just one of our projects.

Above right – Barter: Edie wears dog costume by David Adams and Emily Martin

Here are some other initiatives we have going on in your area: Many people find it difficult to decide what to do when they leave school – what to learn, what path to take.

Even in later life, that can still be the case. And it’s no different for someone with a learning disability. Our Making programme in Mayfield offers a menu of short projects, imaginatively designed to provide the participant with an introduction to different creative making skills. We give them the chance to try something new, and to carry on with it if they are interested.

Left – Barter: posters by Leanne Ross

Below – Making Programme: Nicholas Trayner making laser cut portraits

As cuts to public services bite hard, it becomes increasingly important to ensure that local people with learning disabilities can continue to access activity that offers them new experiences and new skills, and the chance to develop their personal interests. We aim to offer real engagement that connects to a wider community so that lives do not become dull and restricted.

Through our Socialites initiative, we give young people experiences that they would otherwise have no access to. Take Brendan, for example, a young person with excellent athletic skills but no social network. He was given taster sessions of various challenging sports. When he visited Waterski Scotland, the organisation was so impressed

with his natural ability, they took him on for a year’s work experience and training.

They say he could compete professionally one day. His father says “This might seem a small thing, but it’s huge in his life. It has stopped the family from breaking apart, as finally he has something he is good at, something he is recognised for.”

Below – Sensory workshops: Laura Spring and Amy Kennedy

This applies just as much to people with profound learning disabilities. One of our artists has been working for an extended period of time in Bonnyrigg with Natalie, a young woman with sensory, physical and learning disabilities.

Working closely with Natalie, trying out different sensory activities, consulting with Natalie’s mother and her care workers, taking expert advice from psychologists and vision specialists resulted in the making of an interactive

planetarium filled with sounds and images of nature.

When Natalie’s mother saw her daughter react to the finished artwork for the first time, actively engaging and interacting with the projected images and sounds around her, she was lost for words.

They were both experiencing something new. Natalie was having some control over her surroundings, while her mother realised that Natalie could learn new skills through these new experiences.

Below – Ideas team: Steve Hollingsworth and Natalie Thompson

We also work with the care workers involved with people with learning disabilities. It is a demanding role, and people can often be stressed, overworked and in need of new ways of thinking. Artlink have provided a series of classes for staff at daycare centres – from slapstick clowning to relaxation exercises, and talks on coping with negative behaviours.

We lift spirits and encourage new ideas and stronger working bonds. It benefits the workers and in turn, it benefits people with learning disabilities and their families.

Right – Sensory workshops: Kevin McPhee with functional artworks for Richard Fortune

New technology offers some very exciting ways to interact with people who have difficulty with usual forms of communication.

We are working with artists and scientists linked to MIT Boston and other universities to bring cutting edge developments into our work This page – Ideas Team: Kelly Dobson’s early designs for time pods

– machines that slow down perception, that communicate through vibration, that help us to experience the world in fresh ways or provide new ways to interact with it. The potential is enormous, and we are dedicated to improving lives through exploring these sorts of innovations.

Right top – Ideas Team: Wendy Jacob working with carers on collected sounds.

Right bottom –Ideas Team: Wendy’s sound balloon prototype

The idea of community is that we hold each other up, that by creatively supporting others, we are also sustained and energized. By seeing the world through another set of eyes and opening ourselves to the experiences of people different from ourselves, we get to live more fully.

This page – Sensory workshops: performance props designed by Kat Murray

Artlink would like to thank: The Action Group, Barnardos, Our community Barter partners, Laura Aldridge, Onya Attridge, Claire Barclay, Annabel Barnett, Mina Braun, Maike Browning, Kirstyn Cameron, Jim Colquhoun, John Connell, Gemma Cruells, Liz Davidson, Kelly Dobson, Chauffeur Drive, Malcy Duff, Susan Dunn, The Dunn Family, Gordon Dutton, All our Friday Fest Musicians, Jo Foley, Places for People support staff, Rachael Forbes, Brenda and Richard Fortune, Lauren Fox, Rosemary Frew, Agnes Goodsir, Alexa Hare, Lauren Hayes, Steve Hollingsworth, Dawn Horley, Vivien Horn, David and Jean Hunter, Allan Irvine, Wendy Jacob, Gail Keating, Anna Krzeczkowska, Kingsley Liversage, Emily Martin, Scott McCallum, Ben McGill and family, Duncan McIntyre, Jacqueline McKinna,

James McLardy, Kevin McPhee, Loraine McPherson, Emily Millichip, Maggie Mowbray, Helen Moyes, Kat Murray, Francesca Nobillucci, Katie Orton, Jon Owen, Marcin Pietruszewski, Charlotte Prodger, The 200 people who take part in our workshops, Tommy Perman, Priscilla Pratt, Fran Priest, Jackie Quinn, Edward Reid, Richmond Fellowship Scotland staff, Lynda Rowan, Saltersgate School, Epilepsy Scotland, John Skouse, Kjersti Sletteland, Gayle Smith, Jenny Smith, Laura Spring, ELCAP staff and management, Joan Seaton, St Joseph’s Services staff, Neil Stewart and CAT team staff, Dawn Stoddart, Mary Sturrock, Nicola Sturrock, Brenda Thompson, Nathalie Thomspon, Tim Vincent-Smith, Audrey Watson, Miriam Walsh, Caro Weiss, Dr Robert Walley and the CLDT team, Nicola White, Ruth Whittles, June Wilson, Mark Wilson, Sonja Witts.

Artlink has been working in the area of arts and access in Midlothian for 25 years. These are just some samples of our activities in your area, to find out more about our work, in Midlothian and elsewhere, go to www.artlinkedinburgh.co.uk

If your organisation would like to become involved in our Barter project, please contact Kara Christine kara@artlinkedinburgh.co.uk 0131 229 3555 Artlink, 13a Spittal Street, Edinburgh, EH3 9DY

Front cover – Sensory workshops: Laura Aldridge and Donna Hunt