WEA North West
Peripheral Vision
Project Report
Section
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Peripheral Vision provided a free creative platform for disadvantaged adults to challenge others’ vision of society today.
Section 1
Contents
Summary of the Project Peripheral Vision was a project aimed at everyone, especially those on the edge of society. Through the innovative use of new digital media and visits to cultural venues in Greater Manchester and beyond, learners had the opportunity to take part in film, art, creative writing, photography, and textiles courses within their communities. Culminating in a celebratory event and the launch of a magazine of learners’ work, Peripheral Vision has encouraged those on the periphery to challenge others’ vision of society today. Through participation in the project we hoped to give non-traditional adult learners the chance to enrol on courses that would not only be an outlet for their creativity but also enhance their feelings of self-confidence and wellbeing.
Summary of the project Key points: What went well What didn’t go well What we would do differently next time
In setting up Peripheral Vision, WEA determined to target a range of disadvantaged people that included the isolated elderly, people with mental health problems, women from BME communities, the homeless, people recovering from substance abuse and those with learning disabilities. The main areas of learning contained a focus on creative activities and personal expression. Every course was designed to incorporate cultural visits to museums, galleries, theatres, libraries, cinemas or National Trust properties. Course topics included art history; print making; photography; healthy eating; creative writing; knitting; walking and outdoor sculpture; film making, experimental textiles; history and politics.
What lessons we have learned Hints and tips for other organizations wishing to deliver a similar project
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Key Points: What went well:
What we would do differently next time: Given the timescale, be less ambitious in the project outputs and outcomes. At project inception and bid writing stage involve key project partners and tutors.
The project was over subscribed with 242 learners as opposed to the 100 predicted in the bid. We also recruited new learners, new partners and new tutors to WEA.
Ensure sufficient staff resources are allocated from the beginning of the project with appropriate task delegation.
The use of the iPads, Flips, digital cameras and the Peripheral Vision micro site for individual learner and tutor blogs, were all well received. Learners and community partners appreciated having access to the latest technology.
Design all of the courses in the first two months then advertise them to prospective stakeholders.
The Peripheral Vision Magazine has been a great success, and a professional and accessible way in which to showcase learners’ work.
Get all the tutors together at the beginning of the project to explain the project aims and objectives and provide web-editing workshops.
Learners enjoyed being challenged intellectually through the judicious use of citizenship themes in course planning.
What lessons we have learned:
The celebratory event was a wonderful, joyous occasion that publicly acknowledged learners’ achievements.
What didn’t go well: Giving course participants the option to design the content of their courses proved unwieldy and ineffective. Having to change the project methodology (see point above) reduced the time available for delivery of all the activities.
Learners and community partners prefer structured courses that are designed before enrollment. Don’t promise too much; be realistic when writing the bid and be prepared to change the delivery approaches. Short days and cold temperatures do not bode well for courses based outside. Taking people out of their comfort zones is both challenging and rewarding for everyone concerned. Choose the project name with care.
Organising the transport was time consuming, and, at times, frustrating. It proved very difficult to recruit the 15 requisite volunteers within the project timescale. Asking learners to fill in the required data collection questionnaire online was difficult to monitor and eventually changed in favour of paper copies.
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Hints and tips for other organisations wishing to deliver a similar project:
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Design all of the courses yourself with minimal initial input from the learners: community partners and learners expect this.
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Ensure well designed publicity is circulated through a range of media.
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Make sure you have a celebratory event, with a prize giving ceremony to acknowledge and publicise learners’ achievements. This is a good opportunity to thank everyone involved and build upon relationships with learners, tutors, partners and funders.
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Ensure that you have a very clear project action plan with identified resources and timescales. Review the plan regularly and be prepared to change it when necessary.
Make a point of visiting as many classes as you can. This will buoy your spirits. Meeting your learners and seeing them thrive in a creative environment will put a big smile on your face.
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Section
2
Peripheral Vision contributed towards Manchester City’s Cultural Strategy to: “Provide a wide range of opportunities for creative expression and active participation thereby spreading the benefit of the city’s cultural facilities.”
Section 2
Contents
Supporting better mental or physical health Some of the project’s courses were targeted at those with mental health problems, while others included adults who declared that they had problems with their mental health. However, due to the social nature of attending a regular class, getting out of the house and learning new things, we believe that all of the courses supported better mental health for each and every learner. Seven of the courses actively encouraged the participants to walk about in the fresh air with visits to Yorkshire Sculpture Park, Irwell Sculpture Trail and the grounds of Lyme Park, Quarry Bank Mill and Jodrell Bank. One course addressed the issues related to healthy eating and the consumption of sugar on a daily basis.
Contribution to the key ACLF themes: Supporting better mental or physical health Supporting civic engagement and community decision making Using adult learning as a tool to contribute to the achievement of the government’s wider social policy goals
Supporting civic engagement and community decision making Although the majority of the courses were arts based, one or two had other themes such as A Class Act (race, class, gender and feminism) and A Recipe for Success (healthy eating). Regardless of the topics however, most of the courses contained an element of citizenship. For example, the Wild Things course was designed around Donna Wilson’s Endangered Species exhibition at Yorkshire Sculpture Park. The course content included research on British endangered species and the creation of a fabric creature or plant out of re-cycled material.
Widening access to digital and other important skills
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Using adult learning as a tool to contribute to the achievement of the government’s wider social policy goals This was achieved by providing interesting and stimulating course topics that challenged the learners to question themselves, and the local, national and international status quo. In addition, by incorporating workshops at cultural venues into the courses Peripheral Vision also contributed towards Manchester City’s Cultural Strategy to: “Provide a wide range of opportunities for creative expression and active participation thereby spreading the benefit of the city’s cultural facilities.”
Widening access to digital and other important skills This aspect of the project was very successful. Learners really appreciated having access to the iPads, Flips, digital cameras, A3 printer and MacBook Pro laptops. The Peripheral Vision micro website also proved popular for some learners and tutors. Those who embraced using the site managed to upload their work and diaries with ease. However, the majority of learners and some tutors, shied away from this method of recording their thoughts and ideas.
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Section
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“I would say, what makes a really good learning experience for adults would be the social aspect of getting different people together, sharing ideas and really discussing and exploring things together.�
Section 3
Contents
Project Partners Whitworth Art Gallery People’s History Museum Manchester Art Gallery MadLab Cornerhouse ADAB
Project partners List of courses delivered
Adactus Housing Association Social Adventures Booth Centre City South Manchester Housing Trust REACHE NW REAL Southway Housing Trust Valuing Older People Westcroft Community Centre Bolton at Home
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List of courses delivered Below is a list of the 22 courses that ran during the project. Three other courses were designed but did not take place: Gifted (creative crafts) was targeted at young Asian women in Rochdale but failed to recruit enough learners to be viable. We Chinese (filmmaking) was requested by the elderly Chinese community who asked for a Chinese filmmaker as they could not speak much English. This proved difficult to achieve during the project timescale. The Groove course was cancelled because the majority of participants preferred to enrol on The Apprentice course as it also incorporated making music on the iPads.
Power and Performance (creative writing) On this creative writing course the learners and WEA tutor decided collectively that they would like to visit Bury Met for an evening of poetry, light and sound; the Cornerhouse for a screening of Lars von Trier’s Melancholia; and the Royal Exchange Theatre to see Good. They studied the notion of power and how it is evident in writing, relationships and politics. David Dennehy’s Diary poem was chosen for publication in the Peripheral Vision magazine.
Moving Images (filmmaking) The Booth Centre (for the homeless) requested an eight-week filmmaking course. The participants used iPads, Flip HD cameras and MacBook Air laptops to film and edit their short films. With visits to Whitworth Art Gallery, Mad Lab, Manchester Art Gallery, Yorkshire Sculpture Park and the Manchester Wheel, the participants had ample opportunity to take some great footage. Ten of the learners’ films were screened at the celebratory event on 2 April 2012.
Being Me: the best I can be (self-discovery) This was a course for Asian women in Bury, some of whom had studied together before. Their tutor, who is a trained psychotherapist, took them through exercises and conversations that increased their confidence in their current learning and in their future potential. They made handmade diaries, wrote poems and prose and illustrated their feelings through art. Shanela Chaudary’s Learning Journey was published in the Peripheral Vision magazine.
Art Attack (practical art) Art Attack was a closed course especially for centre users from LDRC, Offerton. This short course took adults with learning disabilities to Whitworth Art Gallery and the People’s History Museum, where they engaged with the exhibits and produced their own art works using iPads and poster prints. Barbara Alexander and Philip Ludlaim both had their art work chosen for the Peripheral Vision magazine.
Get into Shape (walking and outdoor sculpture) This course was designed to encourage people to walk around in the fresh air whilst learning about sculpture at the same time. The participants visited the Irwell Valley Sculpture Trail and Yorkshire Sculpture Park to view Jaume Plensa’s stunning exhibition. Two of the mini films produced on this course were screened at the celebratory event on 2 April at the Cornerhouse. Martin Fisher had six of his photographs published in the Peripheral Vision magazine.
Ian Simpson had a piece of his work published in the Peripheral Vision magazine. Some of the Moving Images participants will take part in a new, more advanced filmmaking course staring in late May.
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In the Frame (photography)
Watch this Space (creative writing)
This photography course was set up to attract Salford residents. Participants visited Whitworth Art Gallery to make short films on iPads, one of which was chosen to screen at the end of project celebratory event. The learners also visited the Lowry and IWM North for photography assignments.
Learners on this creative writing course attended a performance of D H Lawrence’s A Daughter in Law at the Library Theatre and a performance of The Lady in the Van at the Royal Exchange. They also spent time at Manchester Art Gallery looking at the paintings and watching other gallery visitors as inspiration for their writing.
John Abbot, Jackie Kendall, Jacob Howard and James Aiden each had two photographs published in the Peripheral Vision magazine.
Clare Webster, David Dennehy, Corinne Lawrence and Joseph O’Neill all had their creative writing published in the Peripheral Vision magazine.
Wild Things (creative textiles)
Art Talks 1 & 2 (art history)
This course was inspired by Donna Wilson’s Endangered Species exhibition at Yorkshire Sculpture Park. With a theme of British flora and fauna at risk of extinction, the learners researched endangered species and then made their own woolly animal out of recycled materials. A trip to see Donna’s exhibition at YSP and a Rubbish Revamped workshop at Whitworth Art Gallery complemented the course.
Learners from the Ashton area wished to attend lectures and guided tours of Manchester’s art galleries to learn more about contemporary art and textiles. Manchester Art Gallery and Whitworth Art Gallery provided very knowledgeable lecturers and curators for the groups, which were very well-received
Shape Your Landscape (sculpture and public art) City South Manchester Housing Trust (CSMHT) requested a course that would not only enable their residents to learn about public art but also inform the commissioning of artists’ work for 11 CSMHT residential areas. The course took place at Whitworth Art Gallery and incorporated a visit to Yorkshire Sculpture Park.
Art for Art’s Sake (practical art)
This course proved very popular and attracted 20 enrolments, with the same number on a waiting list, so it was repeated a few weeks later.
Knit and Natter (knitting) By enrolling on the Knit and Natter course a group of social knitters, some of whom had physical or mental disabilities, were able to receive expert knitting instruction and attend a knit and print workshop at the People’s History Museum.
The women from Fatima Women’s Centre in Oldham tried various fine art techniques such as drawing, painting and lino printing on this course. A trip to the People’s History Museum gave them the opportunity to learn about various women’s struggles over the centuries, which they then made into posters during a Power Print workshop. They also visited MadLab for a creative textiles workshop.
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My Favourite Things (practical art)
In Stitches (creative textiles)
This was a closed creative art course for members of the Social Adventures centre in Salford, who have learning disabilities. Participants brought a few of their favourite things into the classroom and used them as the basis for their work on the course. They visited the People’s History Museum to make colourful posters using printing techniques on tissue paper, and Whitworth Art Gallery to interpret art on iPads.
This popular creative textiles course brought 19 women from Rossendale into Manchester to visit the John Rylands University Library for research, the Hat Works in Stockport, MOSI to view the textiles exhibits, and Whitworth Art Gallery to attend a photography and print workshop.
Jason Turner, Lawrence Wineberg and Michael Shepherd all had their artwork published in the Peripheral Vision magazine.
On the Surface (textile design) Surface pattern making can include all sorts of materials and techniques from weaving, printing and embroidery to working with paper and photography. This course gave the learners an insight into a range of creative experimentation including a photography and print workshop at Whitworth Art Gallery.
Recipe for Success (healthy eating) The inspiration for this course was Lyme Park and its chutney-making workshop. Lyme Park dates back to the medieval period, a time when having black teeth due to sugar consumption was an indicator of wealth. Learning about various aspects of healthy eating, the learners, who were all carers, also visited Whitworth Art Gallery to print food-related photographs on to fabric.
Silver Social: Out and About (social trips) The elderly learners enrolled on this course visited Jodrell Bank, Tate Liverpool, Yorkshire Sculpture Park, and Quarry Bank Mill & Styal Country Park. They made new friends, walked around beautiful and inspiring places and learnt a variety of new facts and figures.
Christine Crook and Chris Worswick, both had their textiles and writing published in the Peripheral Vision magazine. Rossendale Museum displayed the learners’ work from this course alongside their permanent collections in the summer of 2012. The In Stitches group have continued learning together and have studied on a new, but related, textiles course called In Focus.
Creature Comforts (creative textiles) Adactus Housing requested a course that would encourage their unemployed residents to take the first steps into learning as adults. The learners attended a short textiles course that included a visit to Whitworth Art Gallery to attend a workshop by Rubbish Revamped where they made fabulous creatures out of recycled materials. To keep the learning momentum going, Adactus Housing requested a follow-on employability course for the residents.
The Apprentice (iPad app design) This innovative course was held at Whitworth Art Gallery. Learners were introduced to various art works at the gallery with the goal of choosing a small number for inclusion in an app for iPads. These would then be made into interactive activities for people suffering from dementia to use in their care homes. The app should be ready to go public in October 2012.
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Voice of Hope (storytelling) REACHE Northwest is based at Hope Hospital in Salford, and supports refugee healthcare professionals in the North West of England. This course was designed to help the participants to become more confident in expressing themselves in English and also to gain a wider exposure to different British accents. We employed the services of a professional storyteller and also organized a visit to The Library Theatre to see a performance of D H Lawrence’s A Daughter in Law.
A Class Act (class, race, gender and feminism) A Class Act was held at the People’s History Museum, which is the perfect place to study class, race, feminism and gender politics. Learners who enrolled on this course came from all over the Greater Manchester area. They took part in political discussions and made political posters and badges using the exhibits at the museum as inspiration for their work. The highlight of the course was a trip to The Library Theatre to see a performance of D H Lawrence’s A Daughter in Law.
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Section
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“These spaces, the cultural spaces we have in Manchester are safe places. They have good facilities, restaurants, cafes, a bit expensive, but easy access.�
Section 4
Contents
Evaluation of the project Methods used to evaluate the project: Formative evaluation Summative evaluation Summary of demographic evidence Findings General findings
Formative Evaluation Formative evaluation was used as the project progressed and became increasingly more important towards the end of December 2011, when following a project review it was identified that the original plan to have a truly participatory learner-led approach was not achievable within the project timescale. Setting up courses in such a way without pre-course design proved difficult to organize and deliver. For example, some learners wanted to study one topic whilst others desired a different outcome. Community partners also had ideas about how the courses should be run. After garnering verbal and email feedback from all stakeholders, including the cultural venues, it was agreed to change the delivery method to a model of designing the course content before the courses began. In this way, the courses could be publicised more efficiently, the tutors were better prepared, the cultural venues had advance warning of space, staff and workshop requirements and the learners knew exactly what the planned learning outcomes would be at the start of the course. The learners who made good use of the interactive Peripheral Vision website by uploading their work and diaries also provided the tutors and the project with formative feedback. In addition, the staff who submitted their Tutor Course Reports to the public domain on the website enabled everyone to see how things were going from a tutor’s perspective. This proved invaluable for the management of the project to ascertain which venues worked best and which course topics were the most popular. “The learners have all had hands on experience of film processing so today’s objective has been achieved and I have learnt a lot so next week will be even more fun-packed… and it will be the last session so I for one will be very sad.” Rachael Field, tutor on Moving Images (from her tutor diary on the website)
Summative Evaluation Summative evaluation was used to inform this report and the Power Point Presentation delivered at the celebratory event at the Cornerhouse on 2 April 2012. We aimed to use both qualitative and quantitative methods to determine whether we had
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achieved the project aims and targets as approved in the application. Demographic data was collated from the Data Questionnaire Sheets that every learner completed (this form was not deemed suitable for a group of Asian women – their data was collected from the standard WEA enrolment form). We also sought feedback from community partners and the cultural venues via email. We wanted to elicit feedback from all the stakeholders and used the services of professional filmmakers to help us capture this evidence. Two short documentary films were produced featuring the views of learners, tutors, community partners and cultural venue staff. The celebratory event at the Cornerhouse was also filmed, with input from learners, tutors and the Project Manager. Learners filled in an individual Learner Record at the beginning and end of each course. Written comments from these helped us to monitor learner achievement and the quality of the courses. “I have enjoyed the subject matter, the tutor and people on this lovely course. I ! think it has increased my confidence. I realize I am quiet but enjoy listening ! and learning new information.”
were male, 22% were from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic communities, 61% were over 50 with a further 10% being over 75. Furthermore, 42% declared they had a disability. With regard to sexuality, 68% declared themselves to be heterosexual, 3% gay or lesbian, 1% bisexual, 1% other and 27% preferred not to say. It was interesting to note that of those who answered, 34% completed full-time education at age 16 or below, 8% at age 17 or 18, 8% at age 19 or 20 and 29% at age 21 or above. This indicates that the project was successful in attracting those deemed to be non-traditional learners. In addition to this, 20% of the course participants had not been involved in adult learning since leaving school and 7% had not visited any of the cultural venues before. From WEA’s perspective as a learning provider, the project brought a substantial amount of new learners to our courses as only 18% stated they had studied with WEA previously. The project was successful not only in reaching these groups but also in fostering good integration between the target learners and those for whom this kind of cultural activity is the norm.
Learner on Shape Your Landscape (from her Learner Record) “Although short term and focused, it was well led and [the tutor] kept to the ! task.” Learner on The Apprentice (from his Learner Record) We have received very positive feedback on the publication of the Peripheral Vision magazine which is also available online at http://issuu.com/weacreative. Publishing a selection of the learners’ work proved to be motivating for the tutors and learners, and has given every stakeholder visual examples of the type of work produced during the project.
Summary of demographic evidence Peripheral Vision was very successful in attracting non-traditional, hard to reach learners. In particular, 53% of participants were not in employment or training, 38%
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Findings Firstly, choose the project name with care. Most people had trouble pronouncing the word peripheral. For some it was difficult to articulate with repeated attempts causing embarrassment. Also, a few people (quite understandably) thought that the project was aimed at those with peripheral vision sight problems. One learner posted the text below on his web page on the Peripheral Vision micro site: “Although I am the long term unemployed, I didn’t realise the medical sounding peripheral vision relates to the social standing of the average student ‘on the periphery of society’, like some kind of leper and thought this slightly condescending, but nobody else is giving you the type of trips out for free and opportunity to use modern equipment like this, so I’m willing to overlook that.”
Objective 2 We hoped that enrolment on the project would help to improve people’s mental health. Without doubt being involved in arts-based course is beneficial to people’s health and wellbeing. There are many testimonies on the documentary videos to support this. We should also not underestimate the social benefits of adults learning together in a group: “I would say, what makes a really good learning experience for adults would be the social aspect of getting different people together, sharing ideas and really discussing and exploring things together.” Ed Watts Adult Programme Coordinator, Whitworth Art Gallery
Andrew Holt, participant on Wild Things
Objective 1 We said we would set up ten, ten-hour taster sessions to engage new learners before Christmas. Instead, we set up five courses as requested by our community partners, ranging in hours from ten to 24 hours. We also said that we would let the learners help to design the course content as the course progressed. This was not successful and proved difficult to manage effectively with regard to course planning, transport logistics and the availability of artists and cultural venue space for creative workshops. Consequently, this collaborative ethos was exchanged for a more structured approach to course planning from January 2012 onwards. In the words of a project worker at the Booth Centre: “Their lives are chaotic enough as it is! What they need is structure and things planned out in advance.” However, on a more positive note, we also stated that we would recruit 100 learners onto 18 courses in total. The project was so popular that we ended up enrolling 242 people onto 22 courses.
Learners on The Apprentice course (who were designing an interactive app for people with dementia in care homes) wrote the following comments in response to the following question: Do you think the course has had a positive impact on your health or wellbeing in any way? “Yes. By making a contribution to a piece of work that will be of benefit to others.” “Yes. Helping others helps oneself.” “Yes. Very rewarding learning. Feel much more positive. Worked well with the group.” A learner on the Shape Your Landscape sculpture course also found her participation to be beneficial to her health or wellbeing:
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“It’s been great for my confidence doing the trip and meeting new people and studying again. I’ve gained satisfaction in becoming involved in my estate environment – it’s reconnected me to my fashion and design study of the past.”
Objective 3 We wanted to enable individuals to examine their role as a citizen through art and film and on most courses we achieved this aim. For some of the courses this aim was not appropriate (courses targeted at adults with learning disabilities, for example). However, for the remainder, learners studied citizenship topics within their creative courses, such as the notions of power in society today; British endangered species of flora and fauna; the Elizabethan attitude to sugar consumption compared to current attitudes; symbolism in political posters; the use of public art to define space. Learners were challenged by such topics, but also surprised and stimulated by them too: “The Power and Performance course was really challenging. We went to the Royal Exchange, Cornerhouse cinema, to see live poetry in Bury. I know the people I was on the course with certainly found it as challenging as I did.”
Philip Ludlaim, participant on Art Attack (course for people with learning disabilities) speaking about a workshop at Whiworth Art Gallery. “The first trip was to be to the Yorkshire Sculpture Park (which I’d never heard of) to see the exhibition of Donna Wilson’s, a young Scottish textile artist. This was called ’Wild Things’ [Wild Things was the course title, Donna Wilson’s exhibition was called Endangered Species] and was to give us some idea of endangered species and also the type of textile creatures we could create. We have to produce a booklet on a researched endangered species, update our online profile with a diary of all our course activities and create and manufacture from old woolens, a little creature. I think that the course would have been more successfully subscribed to if it had been emphasised the good aspects that we would be using state-of-the-art Apple iPads; uploading to a website and developing English skills more usually associated with GCSE and A-Level English – research and writing a biography.”
David Dennehy, participant and volunteer
Andrew Holt, taken from Andrew’s online diary. Andrew was a participant on Wild Things.
Objective 4
Objective 5
We said we would provide access to new media, the Internet and help participants to develop a range of digital skills. This was accomplished wherever possible by encouraging learners, and their tutors, to access the Peripheral Vision micro site and upload a course diary and examples of their work. We also bought eight iPads and three MacBook Pros with the funding that were used on a number of courses. Learners loved using the iPads. The basic functions are very simple to master and people of all abilities were able to take photographs, make and edit mini films, and manipulate art during the workshops.
We wanted learners to experience creative workshops at cultural venues and this was the bedrock of the project. During the project’s duration, learners made 57 visits to a variety of cultural venues. Whitworth Art Gallery was the most popular venue, hosting 15 workshops or tours, and being the classroom base for The Apprentice and Shape Your Landscape. The majority of the courses were designed to include current and touring exhibitions. This meant that participants were part of the everchanging cultural scene in the city and lent vibrancy to the course contents.
“I like art because you use your imagination. The iPads are good – you can paint on them. I did a Christmas picture in blue, green and yellow. My favourite colour is blue. I liked all of the paintings. The best thing about today was going on the iPad - it was my first time. I’d like to come back to the gallery.”
“I think art matters and art is so important because it’s a great starting point, it’s a great leveler for different groups so everyone can have an opinion on art and it starts discussions and explorations from a really good place. I think it’s a fantastic way to create these experiences and people to learn from that.”
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Ed Watts
Objective 6
Adult Programme Coordinator, Whitworth Art Gallery
Although in the bid we stated we would recruit and train 15 volunteers, we only managed to engage three volunteers during the lifetime of the project. Despite the Project Manager’s best efforts to run a short Community Learning Champions course on two separate occasions, neither recruited more than two persons and therefore was not viable to run. Reduced project delivery time, given the changes in project methodology and approach, was also a factor requiring courses to be designed, organised and learners recruited within a much shorter timescale than originally planned.
Without a doubt, this was the most successful part of the project and learners really appreciated being in the cultural venues. “These spaces, the cultural spaces we have in Manchester are safe places. They have good facilities, restaurants, cafes, a bit expensive, but easy access.” Ray Meredith, participant on A Class Act By taking learners to museums and galleries WEA also utilised the skills of local artists, who supplemented the input from WEA’s tutors, to provide creative and inspirational workshops. This had a beneficial effect not only on the learners but also on the tutors who were exposed to different creative techniques, ideas and teaching methods. The Project Manager visited one of the sessions at Manchester Art Gallery that impressed her greatly: “I just wanted to say a big thank you for today’s pop-up darkroom session with the Booth Centre group. As soon as I walked into the room I was hit by the palpable joy and learning buzz that brought a smile to my face. I heard lots of positive comments from the learners about how much they were enjoying the session. In fact, the first words said to me were “We are having so much fun and learning new things.” Harriet was wonderful with each learner, giving everyone her undivided attention and making each person feel special.” Elaine Hutchings Project Manager, by email to Manchester Art Gallery
The three volunteers who contributed to the project were: David Dennehy: David enrolled on three Peripheral Vision courses: Power and Performance, Get into Shape and The Apprentice. David was the first learner to upload examples of his work to the Peripheral Vision micro site and he also helped others to do the same. Although he didn't enrol on the Moving Images course he elected to volunteer to help the homeless participants with the new digital technologies such as using the Flip video cameras and iPads. He also helped to engage other learners and organisations with excellent results. David contributed to the design and content of some of the courses and helped to write the publicity blurb for a few too. He also tried to encourage Peripheral Vision participants to consider working as volunteers in some of the cultural venues associated with the project, but with no success. Hannah Zabhi: Hannah is 19 and from Bolton. She volunteered for the project one day a week to gain valuable work experience. Hannah researched all the cultural activities in the region and updated the Peripheral Vision What’s On web page on the website accordingly. Richard Weltman: Richard gave of his time to instruct Matthew, the Project Administrator (for the final five weeks of the project), on how to upload and edit the Peripheral Vision micro site. He also spent a day compiling the DVD of the learners’ films ready for screening at the celebratory event at the Cornerhouse. This was indeed a ‘labour of love’ as each video had been produced, edited and saved in a different format and took many hours to convert to a standard platform ready for viewing.
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In the future, we hope to work with three key cultural partners: The Manchester Museum, IWM North and Whitworth Art Gallery. Should they be successful in their Heritage Lottery Fund bid, WEA will work in collaboration with the cultural venues to support 180 people over a three-year period from 2013-2016, to become volunteers at each venue. The volunteers will receive accredited training and transferable skills to help them develop their health and wellbeing and move on into employment, education or training.
General Findings The most obvious challenge was the change in the project methodology and approach from courses designed by learners to courses designed by WEA in conjunction with the cultural venues and creative workshops. In addition, due to summer and Christmas holiday periods when learners and tutors are often away it meant that the overall delivery timescale was reduced from nine months to approximately four to five months in real terms. Given these challenges, by the end of the project we were delighted that all outcomes were achieved with the exception of the recruitment and training of volunteers. The fact that the majority of the courses took place during the cold, dark months of December to March didn’t bode well for courses that incorporated outdoor elements, especially for those learners with disabilities, and the elderly. Trips booked to Yorkshire Sculpture Park, Irwell Sculpture Trail and National Trust properties relied on good weather for the success of the visit. The project has been very successful in encouraging new adult learners with only 18% declaring that they had previously studied with WEA. Other benefits include the recruitment of six new tutors specifically for the project who are now included in WEA’s sessional tutor pool; and new community partnerships such as Adactus Housing in Miles Platting, REACHE NW based at Hope Hospital in Salford, Southway Housing Trust in Manchester and Manchester’s branch of Valuing Older People. Our community partners were all very supportive and committed to the project and seemed delighted that WEA could offer free creative courses to their clients with the added bonus of free transport too. Perhaps the most refreshing aspect of the funding was our being able to run classes despite low learner enrolments. For example, the
Shape your Landscape course we ran for City South Manchester Housing Trust attracted only six participants (albeit very enthusiastic ones). “We at City South Manchester Housing Trust were very happy with the work of the WEA on delivering the Peripheral Vision Project. It was just what we, and our customers, needed. The idea of this innovative course was great, and the professionalism of the attractive marketing material as well as the smooth running organisation helped make it a real success. The feedback we got from our customers and those who participated was very enthusiastic, and most important of all the ideas that came from the course will feed into the art element of our environmental programme and thus leave a very real legacy in our Moss Side, Hulme and Fallowfield neighbourhoods of south Manchester.” Well done to the WEA, and thank you for the funding support to make it possible. Niall Power Head of Regeneration, City South Manchester Housing Trust The project was clearly successful in enabling the target groups to participate. It is testament to the success of the project that we more than doubled our projected target of 100 learners. This can be attributed to a number of key reasons:
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Courses were free with no entry requirements. Class sizes had no lower or upper enrolment limits. Transport was arranged and provided free of charge to learners and carers. Paperwork was kept to a minimum. WEA tutors were encouraging and supportive.
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Courses were contemporary, innovative and inspiring.
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Good use was made of existing WEA community contacts.
The latest technology was used: iPads, digital cameras, MacBook laptops. The quality of learning provided through the cultural venues was exemplary with contemporary exhibitions, innovative workshops, interesting resources and skilled staff.
New community partners were sought and included in the project. New learners were recruited via e-marketing through WEA community networks and the dedicated Peripheral Vision micro website.
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Section
5
“It has been such a positive experience for me that my enthusiasm has helped others to take the plunge into learning. It has been so heartening to see people with challenges: homelessness, mental health, income or selfbelief, loving the courses.�
Section 5
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David Dennehy (participant and project volunteer) Four years ago David lost his senior management job due to undiagnosed Bipolar Disorder. It took two years to get a diagnosis and the treatment that now successfully manages his condition. Although David has been unable to work since then, he has been instrumental in providing valuable learning experiences for disadvantaged groups in Manchester. For example, he set up and runs a regular Walk and Talk group for people with Bipolar Disorder.
Case Studies Learners’ stories
David also started the Homeless Book Club at Manchester Central Library, which led to their providing library cards to those who were homeless. This then resulted in a homeless poetry performance that was broadcast live on BBC 2 as part of World Book Night. David was interviewed live on air and gave away 500 books to the homeless. The Homeless Book Club has since morphed into a Film Club at the Booth Centre, for which WEA provides occasional guest speakers. David is now a Trustee of the Booth Centre homeless charity, which is a nationally recognised beacon of best practice. He also became a Director of City South Manchester Housing Trust and has recently been elected Chair of the Audit Committee (turnover of £17m; current capital spend of £25m). David enjoys learning as an adult. In addition to his degree in Psychology, he received a Distinction when studying for the Chartered Institute Level 3 Performance Management in Social Housing qualification. Last year, he attended a two-day course with WEA on setting up and running Social Justice Learning Circles, which resulted in the Booth Centre learning circles that attract 25 to 30 homeless participants each week. In addition to enrolling on three Peripheral Vision courses David worked as a volunteer on the project, helping the Project Manager to engage other learners and new community partners. He contributed to the design of courses and wrote some of the publicity blurb. He also tried to encourage Peripheral Vision participants to consider working as volunteers in some of the cultural venues associated with the project.
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“The Apprentice course is different. I’m really enjoying the fact that whatever I learn will benefit other people because we’re producing an app for iPads which can then be taken into care homes for people [with dementia] to interact with the art works that they have here at the Whitworth. It is very exciting. “
Christine Crook Christine wrote the following about her experience of participating in the In Stitches course:
David wrote the following about his experience of being part of Peripheral Vision: “The important thing I learnt was that learning was for me. Learning is not just for others but everyone whatever their situation. I did not really choose the course as I did not think of myself as being up to doing courses. I was asked if I knew anyone who would be interested in participation and they said they would only do so if I did. That is how my journey began. I really enjoyed the subjects and learnt to trust my critical judgment, and developed the confidence to discuss and debate with others. I discovered pride in my own work. It has been such a positive experience for me that my enthusiasm has helped others to take the plunge into learning. It has been so heartening to see people with challenges: homelessness, mental health, income or self-belief, loving the courses. Many have gone on to further study like me, or have tackled their lives with new confidence, gone into community work, or continued with their creative expression.” David is now actively looking for part-time employment. He would like to work for a charity where he can help people and make a difference to their lives and society as a whole. “I would spend my ideal day by getting out and about, doing voluntary work, helping people and hopefully making things better.”
“After leaving home at 18, I had to work for a living. My only way to support myself was to work in factories, as I did not have the time or money to go into further education. This went on for nearly twenty years and although working in the same factory with the same people was safe and it paid the bills, I lost my own identity somewhere along the way. Then I was made redundant and had to move into another factory to support myself. I changed on to night shifts and never really went out and mixed with anyone. Eight years on I got made redundant again and moved to another factory, this time on continental shifts. Woo hoo I actually got to go to Learn Direct and got my English and Maths certificates. I loved it, and wanted to learn more. Unfortunately I was becoming ill. I came off work with stress-related heart failure in August of 2011. I had serious leg oedemas and was in total denial. My doctor told me that I was a week off being dead. Shocked and confused I sat in his office and said, "I have to go back to work, I need to earn a living.” He told me, “Do you want to die this year or are you going to listen to me and get some help?” I chose to get some help. The only way I could do that was to change my life completely… So I went to the Women's Centre in Accrington as I knew they could help me to re-write my CV. Then my journey began… After attending two ten-week courses Dawn [Haworth, WEA tutor] asked me through an e-mail if I would like to be involved with the Peripheral Vision course, as she'd noticed that I liked making things. It was a yes from me. When I turned up at the venue in Bacup I was terrified. I had gone way out of my comfort zone just getting there. I was not used to going out on my own and had no confidence in my ability to find the place. It was snowing and I was in tears all the way there. Should I turn round and forget it? No, I'd come this far and I was not going to back down now.
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When I got to the classroom I received a warm welcome. There were all those ladies sitting there, I thought they all knew what they were doing and that I was an outsider and that I would never fit in. I was totally overwhelmed and had to leave the room on several occasions as I was close to having a panic attack. I e-mailed Dawn the next day to say how I was feeling and she assured me I was not the only one to feel that way. We were all in the same boat one way or another. That was the turning point for me; I was determined to make it work. I loved the trips out to the museums and art galleries, I'd never been to any before and they blew me away. I was overwhelmed a lot of the time and took lots of photos and videos so that I could remain hidden behind the camera. Every time I came home I felt that a tap had been turned on and that all the emotional void was being filled up with clean, pure feelings and it felt so good. I was allowed to be me. It made me want to live again. What a course!
I am enquiring about doing some sort of course at college to take me into employment in a positive way where I can interact with people and maybe pass on some of my new found excitement and knowledge to others. I have recently helped to set up a group called Circle of Friends, where women can meet in a safe environment to learn or pursue crafts and feel they can express themselves without feeling restricted or ridiculed and where they can meet for a coffee and a chat to share their knowledge with others so they can broaden there horizons and see what they want to do with their creative thoughts. A place for women to just play and have fun with their imaginations and express themselves in a craft of there choice.”
Nozizwe Mlotshwa
The course has changed my life: It has made me realise that:
Nozi is 46 and originally from Zimbabwe. She has lived in the UK for the past ten years and has a degree in Media and Culture Studies.
I do have a right to express myself, whether for fun or a means to an end.
She wrote this about her time on the Watch This Space creative writing course:
I do have a vivid imagination.
“It’s the first time I have taken part in the Peripheral Vision project. As I am not working currently, I was somehow at a crossroads deciding on what will be the next best move career-wise.
I do have a place in society. I do have a reason to get up in the morning. I do deserve to be seen and heard. I do have a place on this earth other than to work and conform. I do have a right to believe in myself, and my own ability to be someone. After the course finished I grieved for its end. Then I went to libraries, studied books, visited galleries, museums, and looked at life. I sat and studied sunsets, benches, trees, the street, pavements, and vowed to put colour, structure, texture and light back into my life.
I got the WEA leaflet from my local library. I got in touch with WEA and enrolled on the Peripheral Vision project. I was not sure at the time how it was going to benefit me, I thought I would just give it a try anyway. The outcome of this experience is absolutely amazing! It cleared my thoughts and made me know what I want to do next, I feel inspired, uplifted and encouraged. Somehow, it turned out to be like a leading hand for me to what I am doing now, that is following my passion in making documentaries and filming. The experience has made a positive impact in a big way on me, I feel it is just what I needed to perfect some of the skills I already had but had not used in a long time. I have a passion for making documentaries and films, my next step
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is to partake in their next filmmaking project to update my skills in this field. I am looking forward to it with enthusiasm. I am already working on a documentary that will take two months to complete. I am so grateful to the Peripheral Vision project, the wonderful and helpful staff of the project, especially the Project Manager Elaine and my tutor Carmen keep up the good work! It’s given me so much confidence and lights my future! I would like to encourage anyone thinking of taking part in any of the courses to give it a go, it may be just what you need to fulfil your ambitions or to uplift yourself. Go for it!”
Ken Ward Ken has lived in Bolton for 63 years apart from 2 years working in Peterborough. He wrote about his experiences of participating in the project: “I left Bolton Technical School without taking any exams when I was 15. I then started a 6-year apprenticeship in engineering which involved ‘Day Release’ and ‘Night School’ studies. In my early 20s I left engineering for a spell working for a London Record Company where I did sales into the major shops of Lancashire, Yorkshire and Cheshire. I later returned to Engineering until its demise in the 80s. Since then I've worked in Sign Making and Design, Traffic Management at Road Works and Electronic Door and Shutter maintenance. I'm currently enjoying a slightly early retirement.
which looked interesting and as I have never done anything artistic, I joined when the Photography course ended. A really surprising and enjoyable experience all because of the help and encouragement received. It was during our visit to the Whitworth Art Gallery in Manchester that I was encouraged to join in with a further 3-week course developing an ‘iPad App’ [The Apprentice]. Something I never expected to do and a great learning curve and insight to what is possible with a little technology. Since starting my local Photography then Art courses I have come to realize just how many talented people are walking around the local area and I consider them to be new friends. It's great to have a session to look forward to, people to share your work with and, hopefully, get a little praise for your efforts. It certainly beats staying home! I'm even going out of my way to visit galleries etc. I was very disappointed when I asked about the local gallery in the Tourist Office at Telford... and was told, "We don't have one."... So shocked, I had to go to the Pub instead. The Peripheral Vision courses brought me into the company of inspiring tutors and students, which in turn has made me commit to further projects on my own as well as other courses. At the end of The Apprentice course, I made a YouTube video in appreciation of the work of the WEA and all the students I've had the pleasure of working with. I am continuing with Art classes and have enrolled on an advanced Photography course.”
Over the years I have done other ‘Night School’ courses in various subjects, including Photography and Darkroom, Golf, and the RYA course for Costal Navigation. I have also trained as a Motor Racing Marshal resulting in me ‘Waving my Flags’ at the Formula 1 GP at Silverstone. I am currently doing a Digital Photography course at Bolton College. I had known of my local Community Centre ‘The Willows’ but never knew anyone who had been there, so I stayed away! When I saw a notice in the local shop about a Photography Course, I thought I would give it a go. At the same time as our course there was an Art session taking place [On the Surface],
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“The Peripheral Vision project was a great way for groups to access the PHM that may not have visited before, so it helped us to widen our audience. The feedback I’ve received from the workshops was really positive.”
Section 6
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Legacy and sustainability Since the project has ended various learners have contacted their respective community organisations to request that they be informed of further learning opportunities with WEA. Ray Meredith said he thought Jamie [the tutor on A Class Act] was “a really good guy”. Ray, a retired actor from Hulme, had a background in political theatre and has a passion for social issues. He was impressed with how much information and activities were packed into the course. Ray has asked to be kept informed if anything else comes up.
Legacy and sustainability
“Notwithstanding a few practical glitches around the logistics, transport etc, I think the champions that sampled this are overall likely to take up a course offer again and more importantly, likely to tell others about what they’ve done and enjoyed.” Sherry de Wynter Cultural Offer Manager, Valuing Older People “We had over 20 people take part in the Peripheral Vision project and that’s been absolutely fantastic. People got to use professional film making equipment. They got to visit a lot of different cultural venues and they really had a good time making their films They’ve got all sorts of plans of what they’d like to do next. They’d like to learn more about filmmaking and get back into education.” Amanda Croome Manager, Booth Centre, Manchester Cathedral
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Our community partners are all keen to continue working with WEA to keep the learning momentum going:
The cultural partners have also expressed their appreciation of working in partnership with WEA throughout the project:
“Firstly I just wanted to thank you for involving our centres in the project.
“We’ve had a lot of Peripheral Vision learners at the Whitworth this year as part of the project and obviously it’s been quite a popular venue. I just think it’s got a lot to offer for very different groups so people can connect with the exhibitions and collections in a variety of different ways… and I think it’s fantastic to get so many different outputs from it as well so I’ve been really pleased to be part of the project.”
Our learners got so much from it and all the feedback I got from them was extremely positive. As well as taking them out of their usual environment it helped them to make new friends whilst learning various crafts and skills. We look forward to working with you in the future.” Simone Sharrock Activities Coordinator, Social Adventures “Thanks to the Peripheral Vision Project, Adactus Housing were able to offer our tenants a Creative Textile course here in Miles Platting. The course was unlike any we have run in the past and proved highly popular. The participants were also given the opportunity to visit the Whitworth Art Gallery for a workshop, which was a fun afternoon out for all involved - including me! As well as learning new skills, the trip also gave the participants the opportunity to get to know each other better. This was nice because they all live in the same area and we intend to run more classes and workshops for the group. Thank you for giving us the opportunity to be involved! “ Vicki Greer Neighbourhood Development Officer, Adactus Housing Trust Vicki requested that WEA design an employability course as a progression route for the tenants, as the majority of the learners on the Creature Comforts course were unemployed and looking for work. Taking part in a creative informal learning experience has encouraged Adactus tenants to take the first step back into learning, whilst in a supportive group environment.
Ed Watts Adult Programme Coordinator, Whitworth Art Gallery “The Peripheral Vision project was a great way for groups to access the PHM that may not have visited before, so it helped us to widen our audience. The feedback I’ve received from the workshops was really positive.” Catherine O’Donnell Learning Officer, People’s History Museum After finishing the course, participants stated that they intended to progress on to the following:
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Further informal adult learning with WEA 39% Further informal adult learning with another organization 12% An accredited course other than literacy, language or numeracy 5% Volunteering 14% Paid work – employed 9% Paid work – self-employed 5% No answer 16%
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“I’ve collected leaflets from local colleges and I now plan to start studying sculpture. I’ve been ill for a long time but I now feel more confident to expand my horizons.”
In essence, the Peripheral Vision project was a way of looking at disadvantaged communities in a new light, with a focus on the positive.
Participant on Shape Your Landscape (taken from her Learner Record) There is no doubt that there has been some real success emerging from the Peripheral Vision project. The challenge will be how to embed this approach into standard WEA provision using core funding. The ACL fund allowed us to book creative workshops at cultural venues, buy theatre and cinema tickets, and provide free transport, all of which eliminated barriers to participation and meant the project was truly inclusive. Publishing the learners’ work in a professional-looking magazine, plus our online presence on www.issuu.com is something we would like to continue. A termly magazine of learners’ work with tutors’ contributions, enhanced by creative writing and photography competitions, would, we feel, be of interest to many of WEA’s stakeholders. Including citizenship themes in the majority of the courses paid dividends as it challenged both the learners and the tutors to consider the social, political, and, in some cases, international impact of topics related to the course: the global textile market; food and class; flora and fauna extinction, for example. WEA tutors will be encouraged, and supported, to include elements of Action Learning in their course materials. In future, we will continue to seek external funding to develop our creative work with disadvantaged groups further. We may also contact the cultural venues to explore the possibility of joint working, and joint bid writing. In the meantime, we will continue to work with Whitworth Art Gallery, the People’s History Museum, MadLab, the Royal Exchange Theatre, Cornerhouse, Manchester Art Gallery, Quarry Bank Mill and Styal Estate, Lyme Park, and MOSI. We would like to produce learning materials and guides for each of the cultural venues based on their permanent exhibitions. Peripheral Vision was a project aimed at those on the edge of society. Through the innovative use of new digital media, visits to cultural venues, a published magazine of learners’ work and a film screening, those on the periphery were able to challenge others’ vision of society today.
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Section
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In essence, the Peripheral Vision project was a way of looking at disadvantaged communities in a new light, with a focus on the positive.
Section 7
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Project in a box The Project in a Box material is accessible on the Peripheral Vision micro site. It contains:
Project in a box
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original PDF sent to partners three documentary videos learners’ films screened at the celebratory event link to the online Peripheral Vision magazine examples of the publicity used to promote the courses list of cultural venues and the number of visits received examples of course lesson plans list of learners who received book prizes project timetable list of top tips
The website also has descriptions of the courses designed and delivered; a summary of the project; learners’ blogs and examples of their work; tutors’ blogs and useful links. http://www.weacreative.org.uk/peripheralvision/project-in-a-box/
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Peripheral Vision
Funded by the Skills Funding Agency © Crown Copyright 2012 Workers’ Educational Association 4th Floor Crawford House Oxford Road Manchester M13 9GH Project Manager Elaine Hutchings ehutchings@wea.org.uk 0161 277 5409
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