During 2022 the Bdc resumed our programme of artist residencies led by craft makers with local hospital and healthcare partners, funded by the Clinically Extremely Vulnerable (CEV) Community Grant from Liverpool City Council.
Residencies include: Karen Edwards at The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre NHS Foundation Trust, Teenage and Young Adult (TYA) Unit; and Karen Edwards (completing her residency from 2020), Sarah Jane Richards and Caroline Gregson at Alder Hey Children’s NHS Foundation Trust.
Each maker spent one day a week for 6 – 12 weeks at their partner hospital, teaching art and craft techniques to patients, relatives, clinicians, volunteers and staff. For more information about the individual residencies, please follow the links at the bottom of the page.
The 2022/23 programme with The Life Rooms expands on our previous partnership to deliver workshops across all four of the Life Rooms’ dedicated sites in Merseyside: Walton, Southport, Bootle and Lee Valley. Our continuing aim has been to broaden our engagement with diverse members of the local community, including the elderly, who may feel excluded or alienated, and those who would benefit from the therapeutic qualities that art and craft sessions can give.
During 2022, five makers led six 6-week (*) workshops: mono-printing with Christine Toh at Southport; junk sculptures with Mike Badger at Bootle; 2D and glass decorating techniques with Verity Pulford at Lee Valley and Walton; ceramics with Kirsti Hannah Brown at Walton; and sewing techniques with Sally-Anne Thompson at Bootle. (* 5 weeks for ceramics).
During 2023, four makers led a further five workshops: textiles with Sally-Anne Thompson at Southport; ceramics with Kirsti Hannah Brown at Lee Valley; ceramics with Chris Turrell at Walton and Southport; and mono-printing with Christine Toh at Bootle.
Additionally, ceramicist Jo Williams led twelve sessions with in-patients at Clockview Hospital in Walton.
This project was funded by the Cadent Foundation, with support from Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust. With additional funding from the PH Holt Foundation.
For more information about the individual workshop series, please follow the links at the bottom of the page.
During 2022, we have been delighted to start a new partnership with Maggie’s, an independent charity which provides free emotional support and practical advice for anyone with cancer, and their family and friends.
Based at Maggie’s Wirral centre, which is located next to Clatterbridge Cancer Centre, ceramicist Jo Williams to ran a series of six workshops which taught participants techniques including coiling and pinch pots.
The workshops aimed to improve the wellbeing of those living with cancer, and offer a means of release and exploration which would help to relieve depression, anxiety and pain.
The Maggie’s workshops were funded by the LCVS Community Impact Fund.
For more information about Jo’s workshops with Maggies Wirral, please follow the link at the bottom of the page.
In 2021 Bdc successfully applied to take part in CERI Stage 2, a collaborative project with Liverpool Hope University funded by Curious Minds.
Assistant Director Kate Moult led the project with support from Claire Penketh, an Associate Professor in Disability Studies at Liverpool Hope University. The research project aimed to develop new tools for evaluating workshops and measuring the impact of our outreach work.
Kate led an online focus group consisting of makers and outreach partners to explore the different evaluation methods they have used in a range of settings. The research has been complied into a booklet of case studies, which can be used to help craft practitioners and other arts organisations to measure the effectiveness of different workshop and evaluation methods.
A PDF version of the booklet can be viewed on Issuu here.