Events and Meetings for 2018
Open Arts is a community arts and mental health project which delivers creative art courses in a variety of art forms; from painting and drawing to sculpture and printing. Courses are open to anyone and to carers. We have a small amount of funding to work with participants in the Basildon and Southend areas, to improve inclusion, diversity, anxiety, mental health and wellbeing among groups.
We are running art courses offering taster sessions in a variety of mediums, once a fortnight for 12 sessions, with an exhibition of our completed projects in December. Below is a full programme of the art projects offered for each session
If you are interested in finding more about it or would like to apply either as an artist, volunteer or participant please attend Women Together on the sessions running below or you can contact Jo Keay, open.arts@sept.nhs.uk or call 07580 982 462.
The Women Together sessions highlighted in red include a bring and share lunch at 12pm! The numbers from 1-12 are the dates when the art courses take place!
5th April: Room 2 Women Together (10.30pm- 2.30pm3rd May: Room 2 Women Together (10.30pm- 2.30pm)
1. 14 June: Room 2 Women Together with Open Arts (10.30am – 3.30pm)
2. 28 June: St George’s Suite Open Arts (12.30pm – 3.30pm)
3. 12 July: Room 2 Women Together with Open Arts (10.30am – 3.30pm)
4. 26 July: St George’s Suite Open Arts (12.30pm – 3.30pm)
5. 9 August: Room 2 Women Together meeting with Open Arts (10.30am – 3.30pm)
6. 23 August: St George’s Suite Open Arts (12.30pm – 3.30pm)
7. 6 Sep: Room 2 Women Together with Open Arts (10.30am – 3.30pm)
8. 20 Sep Room 4: Room 4 Open Arts (12.30pm – 3.30pm)
9. 4 Oct: Room 2 Women Together meeting with Open Arts (10.30am – 3.30pm)
10. 18 Oct: Room 2 Open Arts (12.30pm – 3.30pm)
11. 1 Nov: Room 4 Women Together with Open Arts (10.30am – 3.30pm)
12. 15 Nov: Room 2 Open Arts (12.30pm – 3.30pm)
Open Arts Sample Programme
We propose to deliver a twelve week course, two hour sessions once a week, however it is flexible depending on the groups needs and the people attending.
The course aims to increase confidence and skills by having fun with new art techniques. By the end of the course participants will feel confident to move on to join other groups or classes in their local area, or just to move on in whichever way suits them best.
There will be facilities to photograph and document work throughout the course.
Week One – Mark making Introductions, exploring drawing materials through timed drawings. Using different mark making techniques with pencils, pastels and charcoals. Bookbinding practical, to make small individual drawing books.
“Good fun… Therapeutic! Excellent, loved it can’t wait until next week… Started off tense but really enjoyed it”
Week Two – Collage Designing and making your paper surfaces using different materials that can then be used to draw onto.
“I enjoyed today and engaging with people as well...loved using all the raw different materials…fantastically relaxing, love collage”
Week Three - Acrylics and mixed media Exploring acrylics and experimenting with different paint techniques on a variety of surfaces.
“Really enjoyed trying out acrylics on canvas.. Absolutely wonderful group to attend! Surprised myself by actually doing well…Very well presented, learning loads”
Week Four – Modroc sculptures Using modroc (plaster bandage) to create functional and sculptural pieces which can be painted during the last week.
“I really enjoyed mod-roc today and it was really therapeutic…. I'm feeling really positive about what I can achieve…Made a sunflower, I did not even think about having a cigarette”
Week Five and Six– Printmaking A chance to develop your ideas through the medium of printmaking - simple printmaking techniques including mono types and simple relief prints “Enjoyed learning new skill”
“A brilliant and relaxing time.. Really enjoyed this simple printing technique to achieve fantastic results…Loving it, very friendly and relaxing”
Week Seven - Clay construction Claywork – Construction. Explore a range of construction techniques using air drying clay
“Enjoyed feeling and using clay-very relaxing…. I really loved playing around with clay”
Week Eight – ModRoc and Clay Sculpture decoration. Decorating modroc sculptures using acrylic paints and other materials.
“It was relaxing and I like painting my work.. Very enjoyable...nice and relaxed”
Week Nine - Inks and Watercolours Learning how to paint a simple watercolour and extending drawing explorations with the addition of colour and ink.
“Really relaxing and learn a lot about watercolours and ink mediums.. Wow, I have a confidence I never had before and it has started a process of believing that I am a somebody- just because I did a piece of ink work that I actually liked and felt good about”
Week Ten, Eleven and Twelve - Individual Arts Development An opportunity for everyone to develop their own theme of work using the skills and materials from the previous sessions, with the support of the Artist.
“I would recommend this art course to everyone as a good form of “mindfulness” so therapeutic”
Jo Keay Open Arts Project Manager
Please visit www.openartsessex.co.uk
www.sept.nhs.uk/mental-health/open-artsFollow us on @septopenarts
Email open.arts@sept.nhs.uk
call 07903 188673