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Blog

Participatory arts in an age of physical distancing – responses from the Arts & Mental Health sector

Five organisations told us how they are continuing to deliver creative sessions to participants, how they are trying to bridge the digital divide at short notice, and what they are learning from the COVID-19 experience.

Creative ageing – the COVID-19 crisis and after

The magnificent response from the arts to support older people in isolation is not an accident - but down to the growth of a powerful creative ageing movement. Support must continue even in incredibly tough times for the arts.

Give those feelings ceilings – my reflections on art and mental health

George Harding is the cover artist for Creatively Minded. In this blog he explains how he came to painting and the importance of organisations like Bethlem Gallery and the Studio Upstairs in helping people to be creative.

Being creative and being together: Creative Alternatives Online

Jessica Bockler, Creative Alternatives

Creative Alternatives - an arts-on-prescription service in Merseyside - developed an online version of their arts programme in 2017. Its Director explains how they are now building on this work during the COVID-19 crisis.

Funding for LGBTI communities in Africa is growing – but there’s more to do particularly for women

Five years into our programme supporting LGBTI activism in Africa, the Programme's Director discusses why our support for LBQT women is particularly important and the progress made towards increasing funding for a hard-pressed but courageous civil society.

International Development

Celebrating the organisations we support on International Women’s Day 2020

Baring Foundation trustee, Lucy de Groot, profiles the inspiring work of our grantees who work to uphold the rights of women often facing extreme and multiple disadvantage and discrimination in the UK and Africa.

Print-making workshops for older men with Highland Print Studio

Alison McMenemy, Highland Print Studio

Highland Print Studio's brilliant Wise Guys project was an unusual example of a creative ageing initiative aimed at older men and is one of the highlights of our new report On Diversity and Creative Ageing.

24 February 2020

GALA’s Kewpie Collection: collecting and sharing LGBTIQ histories and stories in Africa

Linda Chernis, GALA Archivist

Kewpie was a celebrated queer hairdresser from District Six in Cape Town. Her photographs are now held by the GALA Queer Archive.

International Development

19 February 2020

Art is a map back to yourself: Dolly Sen on the launch of Creatively Minded

Artist Dolly Sen makes the case for the role of creativity in the lives of people with mental health problems to launch our new report - Creatively Minded: an initial mapping study of participatory arts and mental health activity in the UK.

13 February 2020

Celebrating the stories of older LGBTQ+ people in Brighton

Lee Smith, New Writing South

The stories of older LGBTQ+ people will be at the heart of a brand new theatre festival later this year, thanks to the 'Celebrating Stories' project, one of the highlights of our new report On Diversity and Creative Ageing.