9 May 2023: Spread your Wings – wellbeing course for young women

Spread your wings

Spread your Wings is a creativity and wellbeing drama project for young women aged 18-25 with mental health support needs.

Participants will work over seven sessions, starting on Tuesday 9 May, to create characters and a story using lots of creative processes including fabric printing with natural dyes, and designing costume jewellery to represent their character. Jewellery making will be led by acclaimed artist, Farwa Moledina.

They will then record a short video portrait each, in character and wearing their item of costume, and these will fit together to tell a story. Our eight session will be a sharing of the videos and artwork.

Participants will also have the opportunity to complete a Discovery Level Arts Award as part of the project.

The sessions will be held on Mondays at the EcoPark, Hob Moor Road, Small Heath – a beautiful, natural setting.

Our approach

We will be using Systemic Constellations, an individual and group therapy technique to create a safe space and gently connect with our participants, and this approach will underpin the whole project. Our lead facilitator, Maria Pattinson, is a theatre director as well as a qualified and experienced Systemic Constellations practitioner.

Who we are

Spread your Wings is delivered by Mimar Collective CIC in partnership with the Birmingham & Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust (BSNHSMHFT) at EcoPark Small Heath.

Mimar Collective CIC is a community arts organisation serving diverse audiences in inner city Birmingham through an integrated arts and wellbeing approach.

The BSMHNHSFT will manage the registration process. It is asking for referrals of young people who will most benefit from this programme.

Further information

If you know of a young woman who could benefit from this programme, call 07985 883324 or email claireterrington@nhs.net.

‘My Doorstep, My Culture’ exhibition launched at Moseley Road Baths

‘My Doorstep, My Culture’ is an exciting programme of creative workshops across three community
organisations, led by local Artist ILdikó Nagy. It has culminated in a group exhibition, open until the end of March at Moseley Road Baths.

‘My Doorstep, My Culture’ is an exciting programme of creative workshops across three community organisations, led by local Artist ILdikó Nagy. It has culminated in a group exhibition, open until the end of March at Moseley Road Baths.

Participants from Amal Creative, Kinmos and Smart Women CIC co-designed a series of workshops based on which artforms they wanted to explore with multidisciplinary Visual Artist ILdikó Nagy. Participants were eager to express themselves creatively and committed to working collaboratively to create something reflecting their skills, talents and cultural heritage. From a henna decorated door lit by lanterns to handsculpted incense burners, a huge willow-woven heart to needlefelted Yemeni flags, each group has crafted objects to show others who they are and what matters to them.

You can find out more about the groups’ creative journeys over on the ‘My Doorstep, My Culture’ page of our website.

The exhibition was launched to an invited audience of participants, their families and friends on Saturday 22nd February in the glorious setting of Moseley Road Baths’ empty Gala Pool. Over 30 people attended the launch where groups viewed each others’ work for the first time and reflected on their achievements with food and drink.

My Doorstep, My Culture’ is in the Gala Pool until 31st March 2022.

Art Works will be continuing to explore ways to support these community artists in their creative journeys.

Women and Theatre – Taking Steps

It takes a village to raise a child…but how are they supported into adulthood and beyond?

Step into the world of care leavers with this entertaining, impactful and insightful drama which follows three Leaving Care Workers, and through their work, shares snapshots of the lives of the young people they support.

20 & 21 January 2022 

7.30pm (1.30pm matinee on 20th) 

BSL Interpreted Event: 20 January at 7.30pm

Tickets £10/8 

Available here: https://www.birminghamhippodrome.com/calendar/taking-steps/

It takes a village to raise a child…but how are they supported into adulthood and beyond?

Step into the world of care leavers with this entertaining, impactful and insightful drama which follows three Leaving Care Workers, and through their work, shares snapshots of the lives of the young people they support.

Developed from research and inspired by real conversations, the production is both funny and moving, featuring live performance and a dynamic soundscape of spoken word and original music.

Shining a light on the realities faced by young people, the piece will promote discussions around their support needs and the steps that we can take forward together.

As part of this professional theatre production there will be discussions co-facilitated by care experienced young people, identifying steps to bring about lasting systematic change.

TAKING STEPS has been developed as part of Women & Theatre’s Moving On project which began in autumn 2019; a 2-year collaboration with care leavers with different experiences and backgrounds, to produce new creative work which informs developments to services and supports children in care in preparing for leaving care. The project is funded by Esmee Fairbairn Foundation and delivered in partnership with Birmingham Children’s Trust, Birmingham City Council and Birmingham Hippodrome.

Covid Safety 

The safety of our staff, participants and audiences is our number one priority and we have designed Taking Steps to be covid secure. We are running the production at a reduced capacity to ensure that audiences are able to socially distance. Hand sanitiser will be provided and audiences members will be required to wear masks (unless exempt). We will also be following the Hippodrome Covid safety guidelines which requires all audiences 18+ to demonstrate their Covid-19 Status in order to watch a performance, you can find out more here:  https://www.birminghamhippodrome.com/plan-your-visit/covidsafety/

What have you heard about Covid?

Women and Theatre is working in partnership with Moseley Road Baths and local women in Balsall Heath, to create a series of short videos which share information about Covid-19 and promote positive wellbeing messages.

Women and Theatre is working in partnership with Moseley Road Baths and local women in Balsall Heath, to create a series of short videos which share information about Covid-19 and promote positive wellbeing messages.

Janice Connolly of Women & Theatre, poet, writer and performer Rupinder Kaur and film maker Rachel Gillies will be talking to women of all ages and backgrounds about concerns, anxieties and misinformation about Covid-19 guidelines and vaccines. Join them for a swim and a chat and then get creative with some fun workshops to develop the short films.

Sessions take place on Mondays (17th and 24th) and Thursdays (20th and 27th), 11:15am-1:15pm over the next few weeks. For more information, call Matt Smith on 07849 214 799 or e-mail mattsmith@womenandtheatre.co.uk.

Craft workshop – inviting women to imagine a cultural event for Moseley Road in 2022

A 1.5 hour stitching/drawing/writing workshop with artist Shaheen Ahmed facilitated by Craftspace on Zoom. Participants will receive a craft pack but must live locally in or around the Moseley Road.

A 1.5 hour stitching/drawing/writing workshop with artist Shaheen Ahmed facilitated by Craftspace on Zoom. Participants will receive a craft pack but must live locally in or around the Moseley Road.

Calling women residents who live or work on or around the Moseley Road in Balsall Heath.

Have your say about a local cultural celebration in 2022 when the Commonwealth Games comes to Birmingham. Birmingham City Council wants to ensure residents across the city collaborate with artists to create a range of high-quality cultural experiences during 2022.

Craftspace is inviting women and girls in Balsall Heath to take part in a consultation about developing arts-led cultural activity to take place in and around the Moseley Road area.

There are two ways to participate:

Take part in free 1.5 hour craft workshops with artist Shaheen Ahmed on Zoom. Participants will receive a craft pack but must live locally around the Moseley Road/Balsall Heath area.

  • Sunday 14th February 3-4.30pm
  • Monday 15th February 5-6.30pm.

Captions available. 10 places available for each workshop.

OR

Download and print an illustration by Shaheen Ahmed to write, draw or stitch your thoughts in response to these questions. You can also answer the questions using the online form.

  • What does the word or the idea of ‘Commonwealth’ mean to you?
  • What ‘common’ ‘wealth’ (cultures, resources, people, spaces, skills) do we have in Balsall Heath and want to share and celebrate as a community?
  • What sort of cultural activity/community event involving artists would you like to be involved in?

For more information on the project or any enquiries about the consultation, please contact Craftspace directly at d.figueiredo@craftspace.co.uk .