Kinmos makes blossom with Art Works Hall Green

What does mental health look like? “There is no way that it looks in particular,” says Leah Anderson, volunteer coordinator with Kinmos. In July 2022, it looked like people making blossom in the sunshine and sticking it to a giant heart in Kings Heath Village Square.

Kinmos is a charity, based in Kings Heath, Birmingham, for people with lived experience of mental health. During the summer it worked with its members to create handmade blossoms. This process, which had been enjoyed by all, was then shared in the square with singing and face-painting too.

The event was part of the 10-11 project, in which a bus travelled the number 11 bus routes, stopping off at events hosted by each of Birmingham’s ten local arts forums.

Art Works Hall Green is one of those ten forums, which connects artists, community groups and people who are passionate about the arts in neighbourhoods of Hall Green, Sparkbrook, Springfield, Sparkhill, Balsall Heath, Moseley and Kings Heath.

We blossomed with Kinmos and the National Trust in Kings Heath Park

Art Works Hall Green and Kinmos came together with the National Trust to host a Blossom Picnic in Kings Heath Park in April.

We were celebrating the planting of blossom trees in Kings Heath Park, as part of the National Trust’s blossom project. The National Trust has been working with communities along the number 11 bus route to create a ring of blossom around the city.

In January, ten cherry blossom trees were planted in the park, as part of the project, with the help of Friends of Kings Heath Park.

Kinmos, which works with people with lived experience of mental health, had previously taken part by creating a beautiful blossom heart that was hung on a tree.

At the Blossom Picnic, around 60 people came together to celebrate with face-painting and mask-making with artists Rachael Hawkins, Mitch Schofield and Claudeine Turner-Schofield.  There was drumming with Damon Wilding.  Dennis the Menace and Captain America were there too…

Stitching together

Brothers Mark and Richard Gunton contributed a cross-stitch panel to the ‘Our Social Fabric’ tapestry at Moseley Road Baths. Mark writes about the therapeutic value of this activity to Richard, who is currently a care home resident.

Brothers Mark and Richard Gunton contributed a cross-stitch panel to the ‘Our Social Fabric’ tapestry at Moseley Road Baths. Mark writes about the therapeutic value of this activity to Richard, who is currently a care home resident.

Cross-stitching has been a long-standing hobby of mine, started as a form of relaxation and concentration. I always use pre-designed, downloaded patterns to form a finished product – a paint-by-numbers, but with coloured thread instead.

Over the last few months, I was involved in submitting a small piece of work towards the ‘Our Social Fabric’ project that ran on the July and August ‘Second Saturday’ events with Amal Creative at the Old Print Works. The aim of the project was the production of a fabric artwork, now installed in the magnificent Gala Pool at Moseley Road Baths. During the two events, family members of all ages were involved in producing small pieces of fabric that included weaving, crochet, macrame, embroidery and paint, which were put together to make a large-scale installation displayed for everyone to see. Multiple media has been used, including wool, sequins, thread and many more, creating exceptional pieces of art with a common thread related to the Baths – its building, features and main purpose, swimming. An art work for the perfect gallery.

What has made the piece that I have submitted more personal, is that I have worked closely with my younger brother to produce a memento of what is currently a difficult situation.

In Spring 2020, my brother, Richard, suffered a fall, resulting in a major brain trauma that initially caused him being placed in a coma. Once conscious, he had no recollection of the incident. Over time, his retention of long-term memories has surpassed any short-term ones, and this has meant he believes that these events have occurred in the previous few weeks, and not, in actuality, the last few years or even decades. Over the last two years, he has been placed in many professional facilities to aid his recovery, which, during one placement, resulted in him contracting Aspiration Pneumonia leading to hospitalisation. Since then, he has been confined to a wheelchair, fed through a PEG into his stomach and most conversation is non-verbal. His most recent institution is aiming to improve his movement through physiotherapy, speech & music therapy and psychological care.

For the piece, we worked together to produce small parts of the design. He held the pre-threaded needle, whilst I gently guided it to the point in the pattern which required stitching, so that I could pull the point of the needle from the rear of the material producing the requisite stitch. We did this for short periods of time on each visit I made to his current Care Home. On several occasions, he gently held a pair of embroidery scissors and helped cut the thread when necessary. Obviously, the time taken to produce the finished item between the two of us at regular visits would have surpassed the completion date, so I continued the work in between.

I submitted the completed pattern on the requisite date and took a picture of a large number of the finished pieces, before they were eventually pieced together for the final product. Each time I visited I showed him the photograph and he always recognised our work.

I am extremely proud that we have been just a small part of a beautiful ‘Social Tapestry’ that will be seen for many years to come. So much so, I have printed a picture of the artwork, which will be displayed in Richard’s room as a constant reminder and recognition.

‘Hello Bird, Hello Fish!’ sharing event at The Springfield Project

Art Works commissioned B’Opera to co-create a new musical production with children under five and their families at The Springfield Project in Sparkhill. It was shared in a performance at The Springfield Project in February.

Art Works commissioned B’Opera to co-create a new musical production with children under five and their families at The Springfield Project in Sparkhill.

B’Opera have co-created a new musical production, ‘Hello Bird, Hello Fish!’ with and for children and their families who are users of The Springfield Project Children’s Centre, Mini Springers and Park Road nurseries. Funded through Birmingham City Council’s ‘Next Generation’ fund, the piece was devised through a programme of participatory sessions and was showcased at The Springfield Centre on 22nd February 2022. Families were invited to this special performance to see their ideas in development.

Read more about the whole project, including the process of co-creating the work with pre-school children and their adults and exploring big ideas with little people on our ‘Hello Bird, Hello Fish!’ project page.

Relaxed, interactive and inclusive

Everyone was greeted with free-flow sensory play opportunities with members of the B’Opera team to allow children and their adults time to explore the space, meet the performers and touch some of the props. This was crucial in creating a relaxed, interactive space where everyone was welcomed and made to feel comfortable.

High quality opera in Sparkhill

The playfulness continued as B’Opera began the performance, with some children moving, singing and dancing alongside the performers. The audience was treated to a combination of classical opera, new versions of classical nursery rhymes and a lullaby in Urdu. Characters wore colourful costumes that accentuated each animal’s movements – the gracefulness of fireflies, the elegance of fish or the swooping and swishing of the lost bird.

Space to reflect

The audience was invited to gather for food and reflection following the performance, through informal conversations or adding written comments to the ‘feedback fish’. Some spoke about their own experiences of feeling excluded, through racial or faith based discrimination. Others commented on their parents’ use of lullabies to soothe them as children.

Sarah Robbins, CEO of The Springfield Project, has written a piece (opens as a PDF in a separate window), outlining the value of this project for the community she serves in Sparkhill. Thanks are due to Sarah and all of the staff at The Springfield Project for embracing and facilitating the project throughout.

Where next?

This initial sharing of ‘Hello Bird, Hello Fish!’ is hopefully the first outing for the work – B’Opera hope to develop it further and tour the piece to other children’s centres and community venues. There are plans to include performances as part of this year’s Commonwealth Games Festival programme and The Springfield Project’s Creative Families Festival.

If you are interested in learning more about ‘Hello Bird, Hello Fish!’ or would like to host a performance, contact Zoë Challenor at zoe@bopera.co.uk.

All images © Rachel Gillies for Art Works

‘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.

Soothing Stitches with Sharper Arts at Highfield Hall

Sally Harper from Sharper Arts shares information about her most recent project, with a group who meet at Highfield Hall in Hall Green.

Sally Harper from Sharper Arts shares information about her most recent project, with a group who meet at Highfield Hall in Hall Green.

Soothing stitches – The aim of the project

To reach out to adults 50+ members of the community that may be isolated or lonely and engage them in a group activity, to enable them to feel part of a group.  Sally will do this by providing weekly makes and interactions through face-to-face workshops and craft kits.  These kits would be created, distributed, and workshops led by Sharper Arts. For the people not attending the workshops Sally will be offering advice and help to create the items from the kits through social media, WhatsApp and by e-mail.

The six kits/ workshops will include fabric hearts, fabric jewellery, bunting, pockets and pouches, handmade books, and fabric wreaths.

Our ‘Sip and Stitch’ session will be face to face workshops that will last an hour and will be taking place at Highfield Hall. This will allow members of the community to come together, try out a new skill and share what they have made with others. There will be 10 places available for the face-to-face workshops and a further 15 kits available for members of the community to collect to make at home.

The whole soul of the project would be to keep the community connected and have a sense of achievement in these troubling times and living through a pandemic.

Four focus areas of the project

Together: This project is all about coming together, making friends, combating isolation and loneliness, and enjoying working together to experience different ideas.

Environmental: We will be using as much recycled fabric, materials, threads, and trims as we possibly can. Materials have come from donations and from local scrap stores rather than buying new fabrics we can re purpose and redesign to use materials destined for landfill.

Up skill: Everything that we will make will be very simple. No need for a sewing machine or fancy gadget or materials, Sally has designed the sessions so that they are easily accessible to a wide range of people. The hope is that once the people attending the workshops have created from their kits, they will share with family members and friends.

Sharing: To empower and celebrate everything that is created. There is no right or wrong to this project and it would be great to share lots of different ideas that have had the same starting point. Social media and WhatsApp will enable us to share with those not attending the sessions but might want to give the ideas a go in the future.

Contact Sally for more info: 07808 988945/ sharperarts@btinternet.com

Social Media: Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/soothingstitchesbirmingham/

Web: www.soothingstitches.co.uk

About Sharper Arts

Sally Harper from Sharper Arts is a community artist who has been delivering projects and workshops for over 20 years within the West Midlands. As a small organisation the work that Sally does is inspired by the needs of the community as she delivers quality projects in conjunction with other organisations such as Near Neighbours, Sampad and The Springfield Project within the local area. There is a big focus on bringing the community together to combat isolation and loneliness as well as sharing new skills and developing ideas together.

What’s The Truth? What Have You Heard?

What’s the truth? What have you heard? is a series of short digital pieces for social media and messaging apps, developed from research with women living in Balsall Heath, working in partnership with Moseley Road Baths. They feature Yasmin Jasmine responding to local women’s concerns about different issues relating to Covid-19 and vaccines.

What’s the truth? What have you heard? is a series of short digital pieces for social media and messaging apps, developed from research with women living in Balsall Heath, working in partnership with Moseley Road Baths. They feature Yasmin Jasmine responding to local women’s concerns about different issues relating to Covid-19 and vaccines.

These films were developed from research working with older women who attend the baths weekly Chat & Splash session for women for whom English is a second language. The research sessions were fun, friendly and informal conversations with swimmers and other local people in May 2021.  Each short piece explores a different area of concern regarding public heath guidance relating to COVID-19. They were developed following social distancing guidelines, by Janice Connolly working with freelance writer Rupinder Kaur and community filmmaker Rachel Gillies.

Yasmin Jasmine was created in response to women saying they would like to hear stuff from a woman like them who they felt  had her feet on the ground and listened with her ears Yasmin is played by Rupinder Kaur.

What’s the truthWhat have you heard? debunks myths and explore new ways of community messaging around public health and wellbeing, by using the language and lives of ordinary people. For more information visit: www.birmingham.gov.uk/coronavirus.

You can also get up to date information direct to your phone or inbox by signing up to be a Covid-19 Community Champion. www.birmingham.gov.uk/COVID-19_Community_Champions.