Arts and Community Projects

Intergenerational Music Making

Elderly residents from Keswick Care Home and children aged 10 and 11 from Eastwick School in Bookham are bridged the gap between generations, using music making to inspire confidence and tackle loneliness, anxiety and isolation.

The ‘Together With Music’ pilot, is the result of a collaboration between us, Surrey Downs Integrated Care Partnership and Intergenerational Music Making. The six-week pilot followed a time of isolation and has supported those living with dementia and challenging circumstances to create a stronger, healthier, intergenerational local community.

The aim of this ground-breaking project is to work towards a national best practice model that can be rolled out across the country.

Drumming Circle

Our Drumming Circle six-week sessions for mental wellbeing, had 13 participants, all with varying levels of mental health challenged involved.

The drumming sessions were 45 minutes long and were facilitated by Sandro Granda, a Peruvian drum circle facilitator.

We completed the last session with a special guest drummer – Iranian drummer Farhang, who played an Iranian drum. Comments from the sessions included “This is Wellbeing with a capital W” and “I see these sessions as a big part of my mental health recovery.”

Art Sessions with Artist Alison Carlier at Dyscover

We fund the provision of six-week art courses for residents affected with aphasia connected to Dyscover, a charity based in Leatherhead.

Stretch and sketch walks at Hannah Peschar Sculpture Garden

Dorking-based charity PSDS, which runs social activities for teenagers with Downs Syndrome and us funded a group ticket to the Hannah Peschar Sculpture Garden for members and their families.

Whatever the Weather

Whatever the Weather was a 12 week art project run by established sceneographer Alison Neighbour, and young people from the Amber Foundation, Ockley, supported by us in association with Arts Partnership Surrey.

The project premise was ‘What does Empowerment Look Like?’ and the young people created an artwork led by their own interests which enabled them to explore and visualise a goal going forward. The project culminated in a celebration day where pots were decorated and planted with seedlings to be cultivated over the next few weeks and months. Hopes and dreams were written on tags and planted in the pots.

Leatherhead Youth Project

We fund art materials for craft sessions at Leatherhead Youth Project, most recently for children to make Mother’s Day cards.

The Barn Dance Effect

This Arts Partnership Surrey project aims to encourage community cohesion and social connections by funding Glimmer theatre to deliver a community dance event in each district in Surrey.

Ceramic Workshops

We work with Ashtead Cancer Group to organise Friday evening ceramic workshops with artist Jo Hannah for those living with a cancer diagnosis or supporting someone with the disease.

Arts Alive Festival

Mole Valley Arts Alive Festival is an exciting, six week-long collection of local arts events in the fields of music, literature, theatre, dance, poetry, creative writing, the visual arts, culinary, modern and traditional crafts, film and comedy.