Arc Creative Wellbeing Centre, Stockport Videos

🙌 The 'One Oldham Fund' from Action Together invested in our Arts for Wellbeing Programme in Oldham this year. We're just over half way through the funding period, and we're using the money to provide our high impact service to adults experiencing mental health issues in Oldham. Recent "gradute" participants of the programme held a celebration exhibition where they showed artwork they've created that they're proud of to friends, family and the public, including these colourful artworks. 🌟 Action Together launched the fund to distribute grants in support of organisations that increase the sector’s resilience, to enable VCFSE organisations that are locally rooted and active in Oldham to remain viable, and to contribute to the delivery of 'The Oldham Plan – Our Future Oldham a Shared Vision for 2030 and Oldham’s Health & Wellbeing Strategy 2022-2030'.

Creative Enterprise at Arc
Our ‘Creative Enterprise’ wellbeing programme of support and development received support and match funding from the 'School for Social Entrepreneurs' this year, and recently launched an exhibition that shines a spotlight on varied collections of ethical products and artwork created by the artists. Products include unique jewellery, ceramics, self-care boxes, macramé, cyanotype and a line developed in a project led by visual artist Kim Hubball, plus the artists’ stories. These unique and high quality pieces can truly be described as life-changing, with money raised from sales in Arc’s Handmade Shop, at maker markets and through local stockists directly supporting our Creative Wellbeing programmes and going back into supporting the artist-makers. Shop for yourself; the products will be available to buy straight from the exhibition! It's open from 10:00-16:00 on Thursdays and Fridays and 11:00-15:00 on Saturdays until 15:00 on September 21st. Discover the artists’ journeys; from joining the programme through to conception, development and completion, the stories behind the products and what the making process has meant to each of them. Artists like Anne. Anne said of the project, “My creative skills and abilities have increased tenfold. I actually believe in myself and what I can achieve.” Find out more about the exhibition and how to get to Hat Works at https://arc-centre.org/exhibition-made-to-make-a-difference/

Made to Make a Difference will shine a spotlight on varied collections of ethical and unique products and artwork created by the artists on our programme, including jewellery, ceramics, self-care boxes, macramé, cyanotype and a line developed in a project led by #GreaterManchester -based visual artist @kimhubball. These unique and high quality pieces can truly be described as life-changing, with money raised from sales in our Handmade Shop, at maker markets and through local stockists directly supporting our Creative Wellbeing programmes and going back into supporting the artist-makers. Help to celebrate the fantastic achievement of this group of makers, all of whom have overcome their own mental health challenges before committing to their own development and support of Arc through creating products for sale by the charity. Discover the artists’ journeys; from joining the programme through to conception, development and completion, the stories behind the products and what the making process has meant to each of them. Artists like Anne. Anne said of the project, “My creative skills and abilities have increased tenfold. I actually believe in myself and what I can achieve.” Shop for yourself - the products will be available to buy straight from the exhibition! This year Enterprise has been fortunate to receive support from the School for Social Entrepreneurs @schsocent, which enabled us to invest in new packaging design, employ local artist facilitators and explore new product ranges. Made to Make a Difference launches on July 27th at the same time as Arc’s monthly Saturday Art Club which will include creative activities suitable for ages 3+ in our dedicated Art Studio at #HatWorks. The exhibition continues on Thu & Fri 10:00-16:00 & Sat 11:00-15:00 until 15:00 on Sept 21st. #stockport #manchester #Cheshire #sse #socialenterprise #creativeenterprise #artsforwellbeing #artsandhealth #creativehealth #arcstockport #buyhandmade #socent #madetomakeadiffer

What a week down at the #ThomsonStreetStockportMural! We've seen rain, shine and later a little bit cooler than usual for June, but the next few days will see the south side being completed and the north side started, again led by artist Caroline Coates... Exciting stuff and a wonderful way to brighten up a grey footbridge! A huge thank you to everyone who has helped out so far. Possible thanks to funding from Greater Manchester Green Spaces Fund. Cheshire Wildlife Trust Avanti West Coast Caroline Coates Illustration and Craft Workshops

It's #VolunteersWeek, why not volunteer in our Café and learn new skills just like our Volunteer Luke has. For more information visit https://arc-centre.org/volunteer-with-us/ #ArcStockport #VolunteerHub #Volunteering #Stockport #JobCentre

Our Age Well group has launched a new short animation film called "Seasons in Motion", and it's very touching for a silent movie! They made all the parts themselves - you can watch the film, view the set and all the puppets and find out more about the process in their new exhibition which is open 10:00-16:00 Thursdays and Fridays, during #StockportArtsAndHealthWeek events next week and the last Saturday of October. Age Well is a group for people over 60 in Stockport who are feeling isolated. The project was in collaboration with Cosgrove Hall Films Archive / Creative Industries Trafford / Waterside Arts. For more information visit https://arc-centre.org/exhibition-in-motion

NEW! Online Video Making Course For Creatives, Tailored To You!
We are running a CPD course that will bring together a close knit group of creatives and be bespoke to your needs. Use more video for your creative business, venue or group by honing your editing skills! Our Marketing Officer Lucie Fitzpartrick will be covering various technical skills that will enble you to create videos for art, sales and storytelling, such as: Educational Resources, Digital Exhibitions, Animated Image, Mixed Content with Narration/Music, Stop Motion, Interview-Style, How-Tos, Q&As and much more... This 4-week online course on Wednesday evenings starting in April led will cover ideas based in your aims, right through to editing, audio and Canva animations. Details & bookings via www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/211059965037

Using easily accessible materials - like ink made from Reddish oak trees and wood offcuts from a local Stockport carpenter - local artist Wendy Roby encourages us all to make something beautiful, from just about anything! A lifelong maker, Wendy left a career in writing to study printmaking, shoemaking and draping. From her studio Roby Workshop in Houldsworth Mill she experiments with free, waste and vintage materials to find new techniques and construction methods, some are used for art and some for products and she explores the materials playfully! Visitors to her upcoming exhibition are invited to add their own stitches to a new collaborative artwork made specially for the exhibition and to have a go at giant embroidery using needles as big as drum sticks, which will hopefully inspire you to experiment and improve confidence in your own creativity! There will be three family-friendly creative activities inspired by the pieces to try - Rag Rug Letters aimed at adults, Weaving and Plastic Bag Collage Pictures - so anyone of any age can have a go at some art! 'Materials, Mark Making & Minimalism' launches at 11:00 on Saturday January 29th, it will then be open to the public 10:00-16:00 on Thursdays and Fridays until 16:00 on Friday March 11th and 11:00-15:00 on Saturday February 26th. For more about Wendy, the exhibition and its launch, visit https://arc-centre.org/exhibition-2022-wendy-roby-contemporary-textiles and follow Wendy and her creative journey on Instagram @roby_workshop.

YPA XMAS VID WITH SNOW!.mp4
Our fabulously talented and kind Young People's Arc MusicSpace participants created a fabulously festive and fun song last year during lockdown to raise money for our programmes, and this year they've created an accompanying video in The Gallery Cafe at Arc Centre, Hat Works! Please download and donate to support people experiencing challenges in Greater Manchester! https://robotalien.bandcamp.com/track/xmas-again-featuring-young-peoples-arc A huge thanks to the young people, keep on being creative and an inspiration to others! Also to RoBoTaLiEn for his lead on the song, making a video this year and Iora Music for continuing to run great sessions with us.

"We're all artists, we're all creatives and capable of making beautiful things... to communicate more broadly, to be able to say the unsayable." Twisted Trees Productions' stunning cloaks from their project 'We Move Together' and huge 'Window Wanderland' lightboxes in the #StockportTogetherAgain exhibition have had a lot of positive feedback due to their size and uniqueness. Have you seen them at the gallery? We were very interested to hear the inspiration behind the pieces and the ethos behind them as artits and the participatory work they do bringing art to the everyday. You can follow them in Instagram @TwistedTreesProductions or find out more about their work, workshops and events at [email protected] The exhibition ends on Sunday at 16:00! See all the visitor information www.arc-centre.org/exhibition-Stockport-Together-Again

Arc Christmas Video (1).mp4
We have a festive treat in store! Join us for a Festive Saturday Art Club on November 27th - we will have loads of arts activities suitable for a range of ages, an Artist's Table of unique handmade art and design created by some of our associate artists, and an art supplies and toy raffle! It feels so lovely to have people back in the centre, and we hope our supporters will join us for a fabulous, festive and fun day and be creative with us, to help us raise funds for our work. We are also pleased to have a magical miniature installation by The Doll's House Art Gallery at the centre, to really fire up those festive feels! For more information or to make a pre-event donation, visit www.arc-centre.org/blog-christmas-at-arc-2021