Project Ability: Create Programme
Saturday Visual Arts Workshops
2012/13
2012/13 has seen the busiest year to date for Project Ability‟s Create programme for children and young people with disabilities and mental health issues.
The Saturday workshops continue to grow from strength to strength and the addition of the Art Matters Group for 21-28 year olds has freed up some much needed space on our 18-25 Saturday workshops, allowing new participants to join us. Currently we run 6 workshops each Saturday: one for 5-8yrs and 8-12yrs, two for 12-18yrs and 18-25yrs. Workshops vary in length from 1hr to 1hr 15mins, run in 8 week blocks 4 times a year and offer space to 54 young people each block. Participants have the opportunity to take part in a variety of visual arts activities including painting, drawing, sculpture, textiles, ceramics, and printing.
We have delivered an extensive programme of workshops, events and exhibitions and worked with children and young people from 5-28 years and their friends and families. Delivering 338 workshops in the year 2012/13 we have provided the opportunity for hundreds of children, young people and their friends and families to take part in meaningful, accessible and supported visual arts activities. We have delivered a large in house programme as well as working with external support agencies, schools, trusts, local authorities, art networks and charities.
“Get to meet other children… and get more confident. I really like doing art” “Thanks for all your support, I love exploring with new ideas.” “No restrictions, feel freer in working.”
Art Matters Visual Arts Workshops
Introduction to Film
Running in 8 week blocks 4 times a year these workshops provide an introduction to the basics of film making and animation for 6-12 year olds. The young people have the opportunity to write, create, shoot and edit their own films.
These 2 hour workshops run in 8 week blocks 4 times a year, take place on a Saturday evening and provide artistic support for 8 young people aged 21-28 yrs, who are able to work with a degree of independence. As with the Saturday Classes young people have the opportunity to work across the array of visual arts on offer at Project Ability. “You can use the equipment that you wouldn’t find at home.” “It’s fun and I have good friends.” “A peaceful place that is suitable for working on ideas.”
“I liked working with other people.” “Fun because you make new friends!”
Arts Award Film Programme
Young Talent on Screen Programme
Extended to February 2013 this 18 week block of workshops was designed to allow our older film makers the opportunity to spend a longer period of time creating a piece of film work while recording their ideas and findings in an Arts Award Folio in order to gain their Bronze Arts Award. Two groups met weekly, 14-18 year olds on a Tuesday evening and 18-25 year olds on a Thursday evening. The workshops were extended from their original December end date to include 4 additional sessions before folios were presented to the external moderator. 12 young people successfully completed the programme and have received their Bronze Level Arts Award from Trinity College London.
Taking place on a Friday evening and running in 8 week blocks, 4 times in a year these 2hr classes provide the opportunity for young people aged 1625 to learn the skills needed to organise, host, advertise and select work for their own international film festival in February 2014. On average 10 young people have accessed this free workshop each week.
“It is a good workshop. I have to say it has helped me a lot. It helps understanding what other people are doing.” “It’s fun and I get to talk to my friends.” “It gave me a challenge.”
“It was good to get a better, more concise understanding of the film festival and a more varied look at different genres of film, animation and short story.” “Very privileged to be a part of organising and contributing towards PA’s position at the Glasgow Film Festival.”
Friends and Family Fun Weekends
Taking place on the last Saturday of each month these 1.5 hr workshops provided free “family friendly” visual arts activities for children and young people with disabilities, their friends and families. With 2 sessions each weekend and space for 15 people per session these activities have introduced new children and families to Project Ability. In addition each family group can take away a goody bag of materials and ideas to continue to work on structured arts activities at home.
Create Summer Studios 6 young people were given the opportunity to access 3 full days of independent workshop activity over the 2012 summer holidays and to take advantage of our facilities, equipment and materials. Working in a supported environment young people got a real taste of working independently and having their own studio space.
One Off Workshops and Standalone Projects Our participants have had the opportunity to take part in a variety of one off workshops, shorter programmes and events over the last year including:
“They offer fun, knowledge and therapy and allow us, as a family with a child who needs extra support, to just 'switch off' and live in the moment, where all we have to worry about for that hour and a half is where to place the next line or wonder about what colour would look best."
Friends and Family Fun Summer Workshops Organised in the same way as the Friends and Family Fun Weekends this programme provided 10 workshops over the 2012 school summer holidays.
Stirling Castle film making project with Historic Scotland Merchant City Festival Special Effects Make-Up Class NGARN Arts Trail – Milton School, Milton DASH Club and Abercorn School NGARN Big Splash event NDCS film making programme
Exhibitions
Screenings and Festivals
Every year the Saturday Class participants are given the opportunity to exhibit work in our annual „Young Talent‟ exhibition as part Project Ability‟s in-house gallery programme. And this year, two Create participants were invited to take part in our annual Christmas show while another held her own solo Show at MONO Café.
On February 9th all of the films created by our Arts Awards Film group were screened at a public event at the Glasgow Film theatre as part of the Glasgow Youth Film Festival 2012. The screening was organised by the „Young Talent on Screen‟ workshop group. The event was well attended and all of our young film makers had the opportunity to discuss and present their work to a captivated audience.
In addition, two films created by our young film makers were short listed for the 2012 international Kid‟s for Kid‟s Film Festival.
One young person is currently exhibiting work at the SQA headquarters as part of our external exhibitions programme. Another young artist exhibited her work in Norway throughout February and March as part of Galleri Vox‟s Outsider Art Postcard Competition.
“Very pleased, so are my Mum and Dad.”
“I am delighted with my final canvas… it is magical.” “At the GFT was a very special, emotional day for us.” “Really excellent work everyone – show looks great. Well done.”
Capital Acquisitions
Workshop Numbers and Participation Opportunities
Number of
Participation
Workshops
Opportunities
Saturday Visual Arts Workshops
192
1728
Art Matters
24
192
Introduction to Film
24
192
Arts Award Film Programme
40
320
Young Talent on Screen
16
176
Friends and Family Fun Workshops
34
510
One off workshops and Projects
8
302
Total
338
3420
In addition to all the workshops on offer this year the Create young film makers spearheaded a fundraising campaign to purchase new accessible film making equipment to replace our out dated, heavy, cumbersome pieces. They came up with some fantastic original fundraising ideas. We successfully raised over ÂŁ11000 and bought i-pads, laptops, video cameras, Digital SLR cameras, editing software and animation rostrums. This new equipment has been used across all of the workshops, not just film making, and the i-pads in particular have proven to be invaluable for our younger participants, aiding in communication as well as film making, photography and for recording of work.
The Year Ahead: 2013- 2014 The highly successful Saturday Visual Arts Workshops will continue for another year with thanks to funding from Children in Need.
Project Ability is supported by:
On-going support from the Robertson Trust will enable our Art Matters and Introduction to Film workshops to run for another year. Continuing support from the Young Start Fund will take our Young Talent on Screen Programme to March 2014 and deliver Project Abilityâ€&#x;s first ever International Film Festival in early 2014. The Trefoil foundation supports our older film makers by providing film making workshops for 12-25 year olds and the Cashback for Creativity fund has invested in a school outreach programme, to introduce film making to a whole new audience of young people. Participants from our Saturday Visual Arts Programme will be able to contribute work to our annual Young Talent Exhibition in June 2013. An additional gallery exhibition with work from the newly formed Art Matters group will take place in September 2013. Work from our young film makers will be showcased in Project Abilityâ€&#x;s first International Film Festival in early 2014. As always fundraising is an on-going, time consuming process and we are continually seeking new opportunities to enhance all areas of the Create Programme.
Project Ability is a Scottish charity No: SC005226
The Create Programme is supported by: