In assessing the highlights from this year, it is hard to look further than the exquisite lemon and raspberry cheesecake petit-four that I enjoyed at our staff Christmas outing on Monday. In fact, it's also hard to look past the truffled chicken sandwich, but I will try. In fact, this year has been an extremely busy year with many ups and downs, as I am sure we have all experienced. Most notably, we were awarded our National Portfolio Organisation status again, this time for a period of four years, and are proud, as ever, to be the only organisation in Bath and North East Somerset to achieve this.

Our work in mental health and wellbeing continued to thrive amidst a sea of uncertainty within the sector. The success of this endeavour is testament to the hard work and dedication shown by our Creative Wellbeing Manager, Philippa, and our Fresh Art@ Worker, Tash. The year was full of workshops, events and exhibitions, and we are expanding our service next year into Somerset with new partnerships, and also delivering new My Time My Space commissions in B&NES. This work is of course ably supported by the other members of our team including our Marketing and Comms coordinator Morwhenna, our Finance Administrator Stuart and our new recruit Stacey, who is already making a huge impact on the organisation, as Office and Projects Assistant.

We delivered three further commissions this year. Firstly, we partnered with Somerset Libraries on their Engaging Libraries project [ See t he film about this project in this issue] . Our two artists Luke and Colin worked alongside two different groups of adults with learning disabilities and created some incredibly engaging work, culminating in exhibitions in both Street and Bridgewater Libraries. 

Much of our time was taken up this year with our Arts Development commission in Foxhill, working in a consortium with Kilter and Bath Dance. We engaged with over 800 residents, a chieved audiences of over 1200 who saw live dance, theatre and installations, and worked with 21 artists. It is a crying shame, and those who have read my earlier blog regarding this will know my views, that this commission which was due for a second year has been cancelled due to council cutbacks.

The work in Foxhill was supported by our third commission, that of being Cultural Producer for both Arts Development commissions in B&NES. We have cultivated and supported two co-producers' groups who we will continue to support after the end of the present contract, with the ambition of having two highly skilled and committed community groups producing and co-ordinating arts activity in their communities of Foxhill and the Somer Valley.

Our co|Create programme has been supported by a group of 15 artists through our steering group who have helped us re-define and model the future of the programme. Next year promises to be a step change in our approach to supporting and developing artists working in social practice. We will be delivering four interdependent strands that will ensure artists are equipped to work in the ever- increasingly pressurised environment of socially engaged arts, including: Creative Resilience, Creative Inspiration, Enterprise Works and Safe Practice. 

Other highlights of the year included our Creative Wellbeing Challenge, and the special charity gala night with Little Men and guests.

Finally, I would like to dedicate this newsletter to the memory of Clive Haynes, a Creativity Works participant, volunteer and trustee whom we sadly lost in 2018. He is much missed by all of us here at CW.

Wishing you all a happy festive season,

Olly

Director, Creativity Works 

It has been a busy year for Fresh Art@, an innovative partnership project where Creativity Works has partnered with Avon & Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership Trust (AWP), The Bath Museum Partnership and Virgin Care to offer a unique opportunity for individuals living with mental health challenges to explore their creativity, improve wellbeing and increase independence and cultural connections.

Fresh Art@ started in 2014, the idea originated from service users, nurses and others working on the ward who wanted to bring some colour to the walls of the clinical environments and enliven hospital spaces with meaningful artwork. The project has been developed over the years, and 2018 has been a colourful one indeed!

This year's bright and bold collection of work was created over the course of 12 weeks, where the Fresh Artists' met to work alongside lead artist Barbara Disney, Fresh Art worker Tasha Bee, volunteer Carolyn Trippick and museum staff. They spent 4 weeks at each of the museums, where they were able to explore, learn, create and be inspired.

A Christmas Letter to Friends 2018 - 

Written by one of our Writing Space Members

 

It has been a year of challenges for me but there are also many highlights to look back on,  especially since I joined the Creative Writing Group last December and gained new inspiration from many like-minded friends.  

 

Now as the holiday season approaches,  there will be an opportunity to spend the *Twelve Days of Christmas*  recalling the last 12 months and practising new ideas of Free-Writing and playing with words - just like mind-mapping or the Map of Days.  It will also be time to catch up on reading, as books are always top of my list to Father Christmas!  However,  as an avid bookworm, it would be difficult for me to pick out a favourite choice this year or even a top ten!  (I remember Clive saying he'd never seen so many books in one small flat)  But although I've tried to *declutter* once I've read a book, so many stories are like hidden treasures that I can enjoy over again - like meeting old friends or sitting in a comfy chair by the fire in your worn-out slippers. 

 

Perhaps I will start with *A Christmas Carol*  and remember my own three ghosts - *Recollections of the Past* - *Observations of the Present* - and *Reflections on the Christmas Yet to Come*.

 

But unlike Scrooge,  I hope that everyone will have time to enjoy the season of goodwill in whatever way they choose.

 

From The Old Fossil of Radstock