Present Plant Press

Pr e s e nt P l a nt Press Final Evaluation Report

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Table of Contents 5 9 13 15 19 21

Project Delivery Change Participation Outputs, Outcomes and Milestones Legacy Accounts

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Project Delivery

Present | Plant | Press was delivered through a series of workshops linking skills of creating and making with ‘being present’ and drawing inspiration from green spaces.

Locations The original proposal put forward a project designed to work with local food growing organisation ‘Mobile Garden City’, with a focus on arts and creative making and community food growing to develop the legacy of creativity and wellbeing in Chobham Manor and the areas and communities surrounding the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.

Following input from the project funders, the project delivery was redesigned to respond to the planned relocation of Mobile Garden City to the other side of Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, recognising that this would make it less accessible for Chobham Manor residents.

The redesigned project focused on ‘being present’

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and drawing inspiration from green spaces within and around Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, in close proximity to the new housing at Chobham Manor.

A series of workshops were organised which used the Marketing Suite at Chobham Manor as a meeting place and base from which to take groups out into the park. ,P VJG ĹžPCN GXGPV QH VJG RTQLGEV C FTQR KP FTCYKPI event was based in the event space at Timber Lodge.

Workshop Content Workshops were led by Anna Holder of CTEJKVGEVWTG RTCEVKEG 6VWFKQ 3QNRQ CPF CTVKUV $PPG Laure Carruth, who introduced local residents of Chobham Manor and East Village, and visitors to the area, to develop their own personal creative practices of drawing from direct observation of nature and drawing as a mindfulness and relaxation practice. The development of drawings HQT C EQNNGEVKXG ĹŠ&QNQWT KP &QORCPKQPĹ‹ RWDNKECVKQPU introduced participants to risograph printing as an

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GPXKTQPOGPVCNN[ HTKGPFN[ CPF EQUV GĹ?GEVKXG way of making art as well as developing skills in combining individual creative work for a collective goal.

Additional content for the workshops was provided by medical herbalist Melissa Ronaldson whose practice is based in and around the local area. Melissa’s walking tours and discussion KPVTQFWEGF RCTVKERCPVU VQ FKĹ?GTGPV YC[U QH UGGKPI experiencing and valuing the green spaces around them, as well as discussion of organisations engaged in planting and growing for wellbeing and or supporting sustainable and healthy lifestyles.

Due to changes in timings of the project which were contingent on the completion of phases of the new housing, it was not possible to bring the risograph printing into the workshops themselves.

In order to address this, the drawing skills and creative development component of the workshops was increased, and the work in designing and developing the content for print publication was WPFGTVCMGP D[ 6VWFKQ 3QNRQ RTKQT VQ VJG ĹžPCN GXGPV

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Change

The biggest change the Present | Plant | Press project has brought about is an increase in EQPŞFGPEG CPF GPLQ[OGPV KP ETGCVKXG CEVKXKVKGU QP the part of workshop participants.

While some participants had more recent experience of drawing, many had not drawn since school, and all commented that they wanted to draw more and build drawing into their daily life.

The emphasis in the workshops was on developing understanding of drawing as a creative and relaxing practice. Drawing does not have to be ‘for’ anything, but can be an enjoyable and familiar way to take time out from busy lives, and away from computer and mobile phone screens.

Spending time out in the park drawing detailed studies of plants, looser sketches of views, and more developed compositions helped participants to learn ways of drawing that helped them to relax, ŞVVGF YKVJ VJGKT KPVGTGUVU CPF EQWNF DG DWKNV KPVQ FC[ VQ FC[ NKXGU CPF NGKUWTG CEVKXKV[

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The quotations on the following pages are taken from written feedback from workshop participants TGEGKXGF KP VJG YQTMUJQRU CPF CHVGT VJG ŞPCN GXGPV

ō/QXGF VJG UGUUKQP playful ways of looking at the world without preconceptions.

Very relaxing!”

“Just brilliant thanks.

Loved drawing with QVJGTU OCUUKXG VTGCV Ŏ

“It was great to meet you today at the Living Arts festival with my daughter and my son. I came away from your YQTMUJQR TGCNN[ KPURKTGF [QW YGTG both very positive and made us all feel good about ourselves. Thanks for your time and energy today.”

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“Absolutely loved it.

Please let us know if you do more, I’d love to come.”

“Great time spent, relaxing and innovative.

Thanks for this initiative FQ KV CICKP UQQP Ŏ “Great teaching and support. Served multiple RWTRQUGU ETGCVKXG CPF therapeutic.”

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Participation

Marketing / Recruitment As with the other projects in the ‘Our Living Art Chobham Manor’ programme, recruitment of RCTVKEKRCPVU HQT 3TGUGPV ^ 3NCPV ^ 3TGUU YCU CŝGEVGF by the delays to the construction phases and occupation of the new housing. In order to support recruitment of participants for the workshops, and in addition to the marketing strategy of the programme organisers, Present | Plant | Press used print advertising in local cafes, posts on social media networks ‘Facebook’ and ‘Instagram’ and event organisation application ‘Meetup’ to publicise the event to local residents and subsequently to wider networks.

Participation in Workshops The three workshops running on Saturday 13 May, Saturday 20 May and Sunday 21 May had 3, 8 and 5 participants respectively. Of these, 2 were residents of Chobham Manor, and 2 were residents of East Village, and 2 were Newham residents, with the other participants travelling to the area from other parts of London.

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Workshop attendees came from Chobham Manor (2), East Village (2), Newham (2) and Greater London (10)

Participation in the Final Event 7JG FTQR KP YQTMUJQR QP $WIWUV CU RCTV QH VJG 2WT /KXKPI $TV ĹžPCN GXGPV UCY CTQWPF participants including adults and families with children. Due to the organisation of the event, and the emphasis on families being able to come and go during the day, the monitoring information does not cover postcode information for attendees of this workshop

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Outputs, Outcomes & Milestones Date

Milestone

Outputs and Outcomes

13 May

Workshop 1

Output: Drawing and mindfulness workshop with Melissa as guest speaker.

Outcome: Drawings collected to EQPVTKDWVG VQ Ŋ&QNQWT KP &QORCPKQPŋ colouring book for participants to keep or share.

20 May

Workshop 2

Output: Drawing and mindfulness workshop with Melissa as guest speaker.

Outcome: Drawings collected to EQPVTKDWVG VQ Ŋ&QNQWT KP &QORCPKQPŋ colouring book for participants to keep or share.

21 May

Workshop 3

Output: Drawing and mindfulness workshop.

Outcome: Drawings collected to EQPVTKDWVG VQ Ŋ&QNQWT KP &QORCPKQPŋ

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Date

Milestone

Outputs and Outcomes colouring book for participants to keep or share.

August

Ŋ&QNQWT KP Companion’ designed and printed

&QRKGU QH Ŋ&QNQWT KP &QORCPKQPŋ distributed to workshop participants

26 August

Final event FTQR KP FTCYKPI workshop

2WVRWV 'TQR KP FTCYKPI YQTMUJQRU HQT adults and families.

Outcome: Ŋ&QNQWT KP &QORCPKQPŋ disseminated through free copies for workshop participants and interested visitors.

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Legacy

7JG ĹŠ&QNQWT KP &QORCPKQPUĹ‹ CTG RCTV QH VJG physical legacy of the project. These colouring books produced within the workshops combine images and words as a record of skills in drawing and mindfulness learned in the workshops, the knowledge and skills around planting and growing for wellbeing shared through the activities and talks, a map of Chobham Manor and its connections to local sights and sites of interest in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and views of the park and its surrounding areas.

Each workshop participant received two copies of VJG RWDNKECVKQP VQ MGGR CPF VQ UJCTG YKVJ QVJGTU Other copies were given away at the Our Living $TV ĹžPCN GXGPV JGNRKPI VQ UJCTG KPHQTOCVKQP CDQWV the project and to encourage others to draw and visit the area.

The remaining booklets are to be delivered to L&Q to use to welcome future residents, or share knowledge of the Our Living Art projects. A free PDF download of the booklet will also be made accessible to L&Q Chobham Manor and any other EQOOWPKV[ DCUGF QTICPKUCVKQPU VJCV YQWNF DGPGĹžV from it.

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