Category Archives: arts for health

poems, art, creative activities: COMPETITION ENTRIES

In this blog we have also included competition entries .

After what seemed like the longest time ….. we are now back working on the amazing mosaic, at Mary Smith House with Revoe residents. We will be there for the next 3 sessions on Tuesdays between 5-7pm.

The mosaic is now finished and will be attached to a prominent wall in Revoe. We will upload photos when we can take a photo.

We are making really good progress now thanks to last weeks work continuing
Barbara working on the mosaic

A big thanks to everyone who came this evening to work on the mosaic

making windows
A few tiles we cut earlier

Keep up to date with the sessions at https://www.facebook.com/Revoelution/

top half of the mosaic in progress
Bottom half of the mosaic

This month have also been working with some young children and their families

Thanks to our grant from BCH Tenants fund we continue to engage with people and families most in need of creative activities across Blackpool.

painting and drawing today
dinosaur
funny face
6ft art piece
mask making today
miss meow
family workshop

princess sock puppet
making princess

This month we have also been working with a group of young people who we hope to be creating a large scale mural with later this year. The group are keen to get involved in graffiti art work and this evening we tested their skills.

Some great work made this evening
The sun was very bright and hot today but the work made was fabulous. Thank you everyone who took part
and ….one for the cat lovers
working on a poem and logo
working on a handmade book

In June we had our first competition entry from Jean Scott who lives in Revoe.

A great start to the competition.

We are looking forward to working with people face to face again this month.

Using the art packs and the Makezine as inspiration for people to get creative and send entries in to our competition.

Great session this evening in Blackpool with a group of young people.

Chloe’s Collaboration

Chloe’s sitting in the yard,

Making art, it’s not so hard

Sat there making an art book

Filling each page just to see how it looks

Creating stuff just to fill the time

While I sit here writing a rhyme

It seems like the perfect situation

To create this little collaboration

Chloe’s collage our 2nd art competition entry

drawing in the sketchbooks: provided for art journals – part of the art packs

‘Yes …. We have actually enjoyed ourselves’

Onwards and Outwards 2021 Community Arts Project

We are very exited to announce that we have received a  grant from the Community Action Fund and we would like to thank the police commissioning funders for their support of our project ‘Onwards and Outwards’

As we work on the project we update the web site with information on a regular basis.

We are currently working on the Make zine, art resource that will be available to all our project participants past present and future.

The Last legs Make Art Zine is currently available online via the link on the previous post while we are in the early stages of development.

We are producing a  ‘hard’ copy of this publication  that can be included in the art packs we are also currently putting together for members of the community most in need of creative support in the Blackpool and Fylde areas.

We draw our inspiration from working with others and believe that a creative community is a healthy community.

We had ‘two young ladies who really benefited from the art packs during lock down, they both live with anxiety and depression and find art lets them express themselves and lets them take their mind of things for a while, they use the art packs and other supplies on a regular basis and found them really helpful.’

We included small canvases, a box of paint and brush in the art packs

hands making smaller

We will soon be working face to face with participants once again and are exited to get going on new activities using the art packs and ‘Makezine’ to help facilitate creative workshops

https://www.blackpoolsocial.club/18577-last-legs-for-community-art/

Art Projects in 2019

Working on some ‘scraper board’ art Dec 2019

young people painting wall art

young people working on a graffiti wall art piece

in communal dining area

Young people spray painting their design on to the wall

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Poem being written in to the art work above

Update 2023

Casey’s poem is about to travel on to a new home in Bispham

Onward and Upward continued

We are thrilled to announce that BCH are funding Last Legs for a further 24 creative sessions ‘Onwards and Outwards’ . We would like to thank BCH and the grant award committee for once again supporting members of our community who are often excluded from engaging in creative activities, due to lack of funds or personal circumstance.

All our participants leave workshop sessions with art works for their rooms, new homes, or friends and family. The experience of creating an art work from scratch often inspires individuals to continue with their new found skills once they move to a new home.

http://bchwavelength.co.uk/tenants-project-fund-update-2/

Below are art works by more community members on the Onward and Upward project

Tangerine Tower

Space painting by community member on project Onward and Upwards

‘Onward and Upwards’

Canvas below spray painted by Gail.

Liverpool stencil on canvas

Gails' Liverpool canvas
made by Gail spray painted canvas

We are also delighted that

Blackpool Coastal Housing

are continuing to fund our creative activities and art project ‘Onward and Upwards’ .

Art work created by young people in communal dining area

Art work below created during the project

Art works by young people

‘Worlds’ spray painted triptych on recycled cardboard

We are now continuing with a similar project ‘Onward and Outwards’.

‘I’m framing this one for the bathroom’

‘I’ve tried saying I don’t do art, but the evidence is here’

‘I’m really pleased, I cant even do stick drawings’

below – spray painted jigsaw

‘This is something to really look forward too, its so boring looking at 4 walls, when your in your room with nothing to do, this is something really positive’.

Below the Art work ‘Onward and Upwards’ now installed at the hostel in main staircase: created last year over a number of sessions with local residents.

‘That art work is amazing, it’s the first thing I saw when I arrived here, it’s great I’m really impressed.’

‘I’m buzzing .. this is what I should be doing, it could help sort myself out and stay focused’

I’m really in to art….I used to do arty stuff with the kids when I worked as a nursery assistant .. it was my favourite thing to do with them’.

                                                ‘…just passing through’ 

St Annes-On-Sea art group

We recently worked with an arts for health group in St Annes.

community art outside St Annes

Stencils and spray paint in St Annes. Arts for Health group

Creative Principle Harris Art Event November 2nd 2019

On November 2nd 2019, Boz was selling artworks made using recycled materials @ The Harris Preston Lancashire.

hand made bird recycled materials

The fair showcased local artists who specialise in using recycled materials in their work.

https://www.facebook.com/The-creative-principle-an-artists-collective-276737829924656/

February 2019 

Art work poem at Grange Park and ‘Freedom Clock’

Project working with Horizon ‘Art of Recovery’ group and Grange Park residents 2018-2019

This year we have presented ‘The Grange’ Blackpool with two art works created in collaboration with the Grange Park community and members of the ‘Art of Recovery’  group. The art works include photos of over 70 individuals from the Grange Park area and from the Art of Recovery groups . Community members from Grange Park and people from the recovery community allowed us to take photographs to add to the final piece. We also received a number of super photographic images for inclusion, taken by Donna Hannigan. The ‘Freedom Clock’ art work is now complete and up on the wall, next to the poem art work.

People trying to find themselves on the clock

Freedom Clock Poem by art group member

‘Life is like one big clock Keep on thinking happy thoughts Tick tock: tick tock’.

Our last  art work  made in to a postcard that went out to Grange Park residents

https://www.facebook.com/At-the-grange-Blackpool-1021617421334189

Marking the Martyrs in 2018

A big thank you to Corrine Streetly, director of award winning Blott  Studio  https://en-gb.facebook.com/blottstudio/

for including us in this beautiful catalogue commemorating the ‘Marking the Martyrs’ parade last year. We participated in the celebration of ‘Votes for Women’ along with our friends the Revoe-lution choir.

https://www.facebook.com/markingthemartyrs/

Going forward further in to 2019 we continue to work with Horizon Blackpool, Blackpool Gorton St , the Revoe and Central community,  Urban Arts Studio St Annes, and the Grange – Grange Park community.

Revoe mosaic project 2018

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

UPDATE

We have just restated the mosaic after a substantial break.

Working with the Revoe community we hope to have this finished and mounted to a wall in Revoe by the end of this year 2021

https://lastlegsart.com/category/community-arts-blackpool/

Previously

After collecting tiles from Kass at ‘Al Murad’ Blackpool and spotting a small hoard ready for the skip at another shop, we had a ‘trial run’ of using the pieces that Mr Dee spent 3 days cutting up.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Hand Made Un’s Art Club have now started the work after  securing a small pot of funding for materials earlier this year, thanks to Pippa Martin. We are applying for further funding to work with more of the community throughout 2018 to produce some smaller mosaics to be installed outdoors in the Revoe area.

The Blackpool Gazette came this week to take photographs for a feature on the project and the club. Thank you to Dan and Julia from the Gazette.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lee’s drawing up on the backer board ready to add tiles.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Keep watching the blog for updates.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Margaret tried out a windmill design, while Andy ‘supervised’.

Anita tried out a house design.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Barbara worked on her King Edward Picture House  design. The location of the finished mosaic will be on the side the George pub that is also included in the mosaic.

 

Projects in 2018

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

work delivered to Grange Park today 4th January 2019

Our last artwork for 2018 completed in December 2018 for ‘The Grange’ working in collaboration with the local community  and the art of recovery community art group . on behalf of Horizon Blackpool.

Thank you to everyone who participated and a Happy New Year.

We are currently working with people in Blackpool as part of our Art Buddies Project.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The project aims to support people who may be socially isolated to get involved creatively in their communities. We take creative activities to people who may not have the opportunity to get involved with the arts due to personal circumstance or ill health. The project is funded by BCH.

 

 

In November we began work with the art group at the Grange, Grange Park to produce a bespoke artwork that reflects the memories and images of people of Grange Park. We are working with the group for 6 weeks until 14th December.

We were at Highfield Park today creating art works for the park with the community and Friends of Highfield Park volunteers.

https://www.blackpoolgazette.co.uk/news/mini-graffiti-artists-get-their-aprons-1001235

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

http://friendsofhighfieldroadpark.co.uk/events/

 

On Saturday 18th August at the Revoe Fun Day we are delivered creative activities to young people and families from the Central area of Blackpool.

https://www.facebook.com/events/228307541257741/

 

 

 

 

 

 

We have been spray painting these portraits on the Recovery Tram: working with Blackpool Horizon Art Club to produce stencil based art work using photographs of participants.

 

 

 

 

 

 

We also worked with the group to produce spray paint designs on the Horizon tram ready for the pride walk 12th June 2018.

 

 

 

 

 

In May we volunteered at the stone carving workshops in St Annes, organised by St Annes in Bloom.

 

 

 

 

Mr Dee working with one young participant to make his mark on the stone

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Anthony Lysycia the stone carver at work on one of the stone pieces.

https://www.facebook.com/anthony.lysycia

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

St Annes in Bloom making their marks on the stone

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

https://www.facebook.com/stannesinbloom/

With the community in Revoe and the Art Club Hand Made Un’s we  created two new poster for the front of the King Edward Cinema. Project commissioned by Blackpools’ Healthy Living and Creative Design Officer.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Revoe Community Choir participated in the ‘Marking the Martyrs’ parade on Saturday 2nd June.

Banner made with ‘Hand Made Un’s’ art club and Boz Phillips.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Supporting Blackpools’ longest established artists group: Blott Artist Studio.

http://www.blott.co.uk/

Sashes produced by Boz Phillips for Revoe Community Choir

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

‘Marking The Martyrs’ exhibition celebrates 100 years of  Womens’ Right to Vote

 

 

 

 

 

Hand Made Un’s creating letters for the banner

https://www.facebook.com/groups/126193264703510/

We’re in the local

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

With the Hand Made Un’s and community members in the Central and Revoe area we are creating a community mosaic. The mosaic will be installed on the empty spaces along the George Hotel  on Central Drive  visible to the wider community.

Work started in May after 2 days of sorting and cutting tiles

We  received a very generous donation of tiles from Al-Murad Tiles Blackpool branch. Thanks to artist Kass –

https://www.facebook.com/African-Woodstock-425125124513955/

for sourcing these end of line tiles for our mosaic.

Hand Made Un’s art works on plates dishes, cups and saucers, will  be for sale on 18th August at Revoe Fun Day.

 

 

 

 

 

items such as these beautiful Blackpool themed plates are now available prices start at £3: half the money will go to the community center the other half to the lifeboats.

On Saturday August 18th

We will be running a workshop for children customising bandannas at the Fun Day.

We are currently working with Shabby2Chic and the wonderful Sandra, in Knott End. An exiting opportunity to be involved with the Wise Owls project in a fantastic new venue for exhibiting and selling began this week. We will be in Knott End at the studio every Monday.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

https://www.facebook.com/shabby2chiccic/

In January we will be continued with the successful ‘Art Buddies’ in a new Blackpool location – Marton . The first leaflets have now been distributed to people in sheltered housing in Marton. The project is funded by Blackpool Coastal Housing.

In February we  exhibited a selection of our work at Urban Arts Studio St Annes.

https://www.facebook.com/urbanartsstudio/

 

 

 

 

 

Wishing everyone a Creative  2018.

 

Bookmaking and Printing workshop at Ibbison Community Center January 2016

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This week we have been working with the talented artist Julia Swarbrick.

Home

https://juliaswarbrick.wordpress.com/

The theme for Julia’s workshop was travel, holidays and the seaside

We started off by folding long pieces of lovely thick printing paper in to a concertina shape with a fold at the bottom of the paper to create a ‘pocket’ for placing prints, photographs etc inside the books

The next stage was to make book covers .

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Then add coloured string to the inside the book to tie it together

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After making the book we drew and cut out foam to create printing plates to print images for adding inside the books

Then roll out the ink and print the plates.

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Two of the finished book.

Other books went home while the prints dried out, these will be added to the books at home.

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Junes seahorse book

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Roses’ book

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Thank you very much Julia. A lovely and informative workshop.
We are looking forward to seeing you again soon to share the ‘Wakes Week’ and Central Station memories that we spoke about today with people at Memory Lane Cafe.
Thank you also to LeftCoast for funding us, all the fantastic volunteers at Memory Lane Cafe for hosting today’s workshop and the participants who make all these workshops such a success. Really super work again.

Julia is undertaking a project about ‘Wakes Weeks’ and we welcome any more information memories or photographs about these traditional holidays and about Blackpool Central Train Station which was the main stop off point for visitors.

https://juliaswarbrick.wordpress.com/

Julia is undertaking a project about ‘Wakes Weeks’ and we are going to be sharing our memories and information with her about this subject and about Blackpool Central Station.

We have been funded by LeftCoast to undertake this workshop

Graffiti Cross stitch Ibbison Community center Blackpool Dec 2015

graffiti cross stich poster 14th

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Funded by Friends of Muir Housing we will be working with families from the Revoe / Central Drive area on Monday 14th  December 6pm – 8pm.

The participants will start an outline of the letters and take the kits home to finish in their own time.

In preparation for the workshop we made up cross stitch packs with Mr Dee’s graffiti designs.

yolo graffiti

 

 

 

 

Cross stitch kits designed and prepared ready for the workshop in December.

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‘YOLO’ stitched by Boz

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finished yolo no background

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks to Lee Hodgkiss for persuading Kim to work on the other design.

‘LOL’ stitched by Kim

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Very tidy and well stitched. Thank you Kim

One of our participants Emma has taken home a cross stitch kit and is busy getting stuck in. Thank you so much for coming along.

Keep up the excellent work 🙂

Here is Tina’s amazing cross stitch. Fantastic !!

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Glass art workshop at Ibbison Community Center October 2015

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We began preparing for the glass art workshop with glass artists Colette Halstead

https://www.facebook.com/Colette-Halstead-Artist-117212021670303/timeline/

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Using glass pieces and glass paints to create designs with on to the glass.

We used these and other examples to give the participants a taste of the kind of work they could make during the workshop.

 

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Before we started the glass was set out for people to look at and work with the microwave oven ‘Hot Pot’

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Colette showing the participants how to make brooches from cut glass pieces to make brooches with one in the ‘Hot Pot’

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photo 1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One with the Revoe logo design using a hand cut stencil by Mr Dee when we prepared for the workshop. Design logo courtesy of Lyn and David Butterworth.

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Then on to larger pieces of glass.

Suzanne making her coaster



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Everyone had a fantastic time with Colette today.

Thank you to everyone who took part we will be returning the fired work to everyone in the next two weeks .

We have received great feedback for this workshop and would very much like to invite Colette back next year. Thank you to everyone who asked ‘When is Colette coming back? ‘ and filled in our feedback sheets.

 

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Lowry Graffiti at Preesall Youth Club

lowry design

 

 

 

 

 

Based on the design done by a member of the Preesall Youth club we worked with a lovely group of young people to create a Lowry themed graffiti painting

after sketch up wall full DSCF8756 DSCF8766 DSCF8772 DSCF8773 DSCF8791 DSCF8799 DSCF8815 DSCF8819 DSCF8826 fial with movement

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

and finished just before sun down

Lowry Graffiti Workshop at Knott End Library August 2015

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Painting at Knott End  Library today

Where is Lowry?

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Did you find Lowry?