ENGAGE / CREATE: nurturing artistic talent and supporting creative practitioners in Barnsley

We are delighted with the success of our ENGAGE / CREATE project to support artists to develop their socially-engaged practice.

The project has helped artists and creative practitioners to connect and work with our Barnsley communities.

As well as enabling the creatives to enhance their skills, it has resulted in some remarkable new artwork.

ENGAGE / CREATE was commissioned as part of our Storying Barnsley programme and delivered by arts organisation Beam.

The artists worked with residents in Barnsley's Principal Towns of Cudworth, Hoyland, Penistone, Royston, Wombwell and Goldthorpe to co-create new artwork, inspired by the towns and their people.

They all received mentoring and support from Beam and other experts in the field of socially-engaged practice.

The chosen creatives included:

• Izzy Dabiri, a textile artist, for Wombwell.
• Jayde Marie Bell (also known as Eye Violet), a mural painter, for Cudworth.
• Lucy Burns, an illustrator and mural painter, for Penistone.
• Tahir Shah, a film producer, storyteller, and director, for Goldthorpe.
• Jack Riley, a theatre and community arts practitioner, for Royston.
• Thomas Palmer, a multi-disciplinary artist, for Hoyland.

The artists taking part have had the chance to reflect on their progress individually and with their mentors and peers, informing their future practice.

Artwork produced during this project spans a broad range of art forms, including:

• Wombwell in Three Acts, a textile display by Izzy reflecting on the town’s past, present and future.
• Spray paint artworks created by Jayde with young people in Cudworth.
• Jack’s film, titled Royston In Our Eyes, which features reflections and memories from people in the town.
• Lucy’s “sharing shelf” at Penistone Leisure Centre, where people in Penistone are encouraged to share artwork, books and other materials.
• A Place Called Home, a series of interviews recorded by Tahir in Goldthorpe.
• Thomas’s “time capsule” of pottery created by people at workshops in Hoyland, which are on display at Hoyland Library.

We’ve had some wonderful feedback from the artists supported by this project.

They have welcomed the opportunity to learn from experienced mentors and boost their confidence in working with diverse communities.

Izzy Dabiri said: “I have loved working on this project and have learned so much.

“Having time to really get to know community members was wonderful and I feel very grateful that they shared so many of their stories with me.

“Thank you to the Storying Barnsley and Beam teams for trusting and supporting me throughout this commission.”

Thomas Palmer said: “I had a great time working with everyone that came to my workshops.

“ENGAGE / CREATE has given me the opportunity to pass on sculpting techniques and I have learned so much.”

The project has also opened up new opportunities, with artists having secured new commissions in Barnsley since being involved in ENGAGE / CREATE.

Cllr Robin Franklin, Cabinet Spokesperson for Regeneration and Culture, said: “I’m so pleased we’ve been able to offer talented South Yorkshire creatives this unique opportunity to explore and develop socially-engaged practice by working closely with our local communities.

“Not only has this supported them to grow as artists, it’s also given people living across Barnsley the chance to connect with their neighbours and get in touch with their creative side.

“It’s very encouraging to receive such positive feedback from those involved in the project and I look forward to seeing some of the new artwork they have produced.”

Frances Smith, principal consultant for Beam, said: “We’ve really enjoyed working with the Storying Barnsley team and build on their impressive earlier work with artists and communities across Barnsley.

“Our artists have drawn on the support of their mentors and really made the most of this exciting chance to develop new approaches to working with communities as part of their artistic practice.”

ENGAGE / CREATE is part of our Storying Barnsley programme, which aims to celebrate the stories and heritage of Barnsley and its people through creative and cultural activities.

It was funded by as part of the Cultural Development Fund Round 2 by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and Arts Council England.

Find out more at Storying Barnsley | Barnsley Museums

Captions:

Image 1: Izzy Dabiri with her textile work on display at Library @ The Lightbox
Image 2: Thomas Palmer with some of the pottery creations on display at Hoyland Library
Image 3: Lucy Burns with the Penistone Sharing Shelf.

Note to editors: High-resolution versions of these images and further examples of the artwork created during this project are available on request.