Following the success of our 2019 project, this year we once again joined forces with Canterbury charity Catching Lives, to deliver a series of arts workshops.

Over two months 40 artists, musicians, and performers devised and led a series of workshops with Catching Lives clients at the Canterbury Open Centre. Through this collaboration over 50 participants had the opportunity to get hands-on with a wide range of activities including painting, drawing, creative writing, photography, music, baking and lots more.

Each workshop leader had taken part in our Teach Educate Create programme – a two-day course providing the essential foundations of community teaching. Covering planning, safeguarding and more, the course was an initiative designed to aid artists, makers and performers in developing their teaching skills – providing a stepping-stone into the community classroom.

Both organisations strongly believe in the positive benefits of creative activity and its power to unite communities. The project will culminate in a gallery exhibition of the work created later in the spring.

“The work that Catching Lives do in Canterbury is amazing and we are absolutely delighted to partner with them once again on this project. We are also thrilled to work with such a variety of arts facilitators. Through our Teach Educate Create programme they have developed their teaching skills and have been delivering some truly wonderful arts workshops with clients of Catching Lives. We plan to work with many of these facilitators again for future projects and are excited to see them leading arts workshops across East Kent.”

Charlotte Chapman, Learning and Participation Manager, Canterbury Festival

“It has been amazing for us to be able to work with Canterbury Festival again. Our clients have had the opportunity to experience all kinds of creative workshops, ranging from bookmaking to drama and this has helped some of them unlock hidden talents. There has also been a positive effect on the mental health of many of those involved and the workshops have provided us with a great network of artists to work with in the future.”

Miriam Ellis, Arts and Activity Coordinator, Catching Lives

Canterbury Festival is a charity that works year-round running events and participation activities for people of all ages, as well as Kent’s annual two-week international arts Festival in October. Catching Lives is a charity that supports rough sleepers, homeless and vulnerably housed people in Canterbury and East Kent.