ARTISTIC PROGRAMME – INTRODUCTION

Work over the past few years has been immensely varied: from intensive one-to-one arts programmes tailor-made for individuals, to a multi-dimensional interactive CD documenting the development of a new green-belt community.

These projects have made friends of strangers, forged new alliances between community groups, agencies and local authorities, and encouraged community development. The process has generated new artwork: unique, individual and powerful expressions of what can happen when people work together towards a common cause.

Our arts programme for 2008-2011 has the following priorities:

Arts and Well-being
For many years, one of High Peak Community Arts main priorities has been its work with disabled people, those with long term medical condition, people experiencing mental distress, and elders in residential and community settings

Those working in the arts have long understood the profound impact that participation can have on people’s health and well being. For some time, this has also been recognised within health and social care, and ‘Arts and Health’ has risen on the public agenda. (See section on our arts and well being programme for more information)

High Peak Community Arts is working closely with the High Peak Community Mental Health Team on developing its Arts and Well Being strategy, including a major bid to the Lottery for an environmental arts and health project, and discussions with Derbyshire Arts Partnership, Derbyshire PCT and Derbyshire Social Services Adult Care about the way forward. We take an active part in the East Midlands Arts and Health Forum, and hope to do so in the new National Forum

for more information about this programme click here

Programme of ongoing arts projects and workshops
Resources exist to provide creative digital media workshops – film, photo collage, publishing, sound technology, animation and interactivity – both at the digital media centre at our base in New Mills, and across the High Peak with a mobile bank of laptops.
AND an open-to-all singing group that meets weekly, with visiting workshop leaders in different traditions

Youth Arts Programme
Over the next three years High Peak Community Arts will be turning its attention to finding new opportunities for young people to get involved in creative activity across the High Peak. This Youth Arts Strategy is now

being implemented, focusing on these priorities:

• Work has already begun on a map of all the activity for young people that is taking place currently.
• New partnerships are being forged with statutory services and other youth providers.
• These new partnerships aim to develop new work with young people who don't already take part.
• Also to pilot new ways of working, particularly looking at digital development and the relationship that young people have with technology.
• Through this we hope to champion long term, stable high quality provision.

for more details about the Youth Arts Programme click here

Responding to local and community needs
Projects that arise out of changing and emerging local and community needs