Last legs Community Arts Organisation. Not for profit. Building Creative partnerships with community members.
Great news for us coming towards the end of the year as we start a new art workshop project with community members in Blackpool in need of our creative interventions.
Art works above on Canvas with POSCA pens
Thanks once again to Blackpool Coastal Housing we are able to undertake this new venture encouraging new participants to make art works for their new homes and families.
We will also be updating our Makezine with new pages early next year as part of the Home is where your heART is project.
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.
A big thanks to everyone who came this evening to work on the mosaic
Keep up to date with the sessions at https://www.facebook.com/Revoelution/
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.
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.
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 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
‘Yes …. We have actually enjoyed ourselves’
We were so excited to receive our printed ‘Makezine’ and art pack header cards from Moulton printers Blackpool last Friday.
We have included them in our assembled art packs.
The Competition on the back invites you all to send us images of your work inspired by the ideas in the ‘Makezine’
Thank you to BCH and CAF for funding our work and the publication
Here is the link to an online version of our zine
https://www.flipsnack.com/lastlegsmakeartzine/last-legs-makezine-front-page.html
Some of the Art packs now waiting to go out to project participants
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
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.flipsnack.com/lastlegsmakeartzine/lastlegs-makezine.html
 The link above will take you to the Make Art Zine we developed to include with art packs for participants and organisations that we currently work with. On request you are also welcome to download a copy to print out yourself and use as a free resource for the community. We now aim to distribute the printed and online zine to as many people and organisations that will find it useful for inspiring creativity that facilitates arts and health in the community.
We would like to thank CAF for supporting and funding us with the publication and BCH for funding workshops and materials for art packs.
We have also received donations of art materials, clothes, and other useful household items over the last 12 months to support hostels we have been working with over the last 3 years and would like to thank Tracy for her ongoing support.
The ‘pilot’ ‘Makezine’ was given to 3 hostels with art packs as a way to engage with people who were unable to get involved with creative experiences or activities during the Covid 19 lockdown.
This ‘art-zine’ includes ideas for making art using cheap, free or easily available resources – (most of which are included in the art packs) : activities to keep people inspired when stuck at home or feeling isolated.
There is also a competition (included on the back page) for people to send in their art works (inspired by the zine). The first competition will run for the whole of 2021 until December 22nd 2021. We will announce the winner in early January 2022. A photograph of the prize being offered to potential winners will be shown on this blog site over the next few weeks, to inspire people to send in their art works.
This is the front page of our Make-Art-Zine
We have been busy developing a new resource to support people who are isolated or have no access to creative activities due to the current situation.
As we work with hundreds of people each year we want to provide ongoing support to our participants, at the beginning and end of our projects with them. This resource will also offer a ‘taster’ for some of our current activities, to people we have yet to work with.
We have recently received a grant to provide Last Legs with ongoing funding to develop these ideas further.
In the meantime here is a taste of work in progress for development
Foam printing plate from pizza foam base
Tools and materials needed for foam printing plate
foam pizza base
scissors
straight edge or ruler
felt tip or permanent marker
pencil
a tube of paint
a clean sponge
any paper cardboard for example a recycled envelopes cereal box
Find a foam pizza base and cut in to smaller pieces or keep whole
draw out a simple bold design
with a pencil draw out the design pressing a little harder in to your design but don’t push through the foam
squeeze out paint on to a plastic or washable surface then dab the sponge (smooth side of clean sponge) with the paint and then dab the paint on to the foam plate until the whole surface is covered.
Place the paper on top of the plate and smooth lightly over the top with a clean piece of sponge or lightly with hand or put plate face down and apply light pressure to back of plate (whichever way gives best results for you)
You can make a few prints and then make more designs on to the plate and reprint with a different colour at a different angle (using lighter colour paint first then darker for each new layer)
or use the pieces you have cut up / off
to make smaller plates with different designs and over print or make new prints
I have cut up some of the paper to make paper beads –
Instructions for beads are in Make-zine
Now in September we are still monitoring the situation to enable us to get back to what we love doing most which is working with the community, supporting creativity across the Fylde Coast and beyond.
We are currently discussing how to safely continue our working practise while maintaining safety for our participants. It is tough times for our organisation as most of our participants do not have access to digital media platforms and our work is all about inclusive, face to face participatory arts activities. We hope to be back to it soon.
Art work made in March 2020 with participants
for a local hostel. Requested by staff.
We would like you to use the provided sketchbooks to create art works, poems, thoughts, ideas – if possible one a day on a page or using a double page.
We thought these could be photographed or scanned when your ‘diary/ sketchbook’ is complete so that we can make an online or physical exhibition of your work that could inspire other people who may be in a similar situation to create art works as well.
Let your imaginations run wild. You can write or draw anything
For instance you could tear up this letter and rearrange the words to create a poem.
We hope to be working with you again face to face once the situation improves for everyone.
Dear all early March 2020
As individuals and as an organisation we take our responsibility to the health and well being of our participants and partnership organisation seriously.
We apologise for any inconvenience or disappointment this will cause to yourselves and to our participants. We feel this is a necessary precaution to undertake due to the numbers of groups and individuals across the Fylde Coast that we work with. Many of our participants are already ‘at risk’ or ‘vulnerable’ residents and community members; therefore we wish to protect them and ourselves from any possible chance of infection or risk of infection.
We were looking forward to taking our recent activities forward in support of positive community engagement however this current crisis has put these creative sessions on hold for the time being.
Earlier this year
In 2020 we have already facilitated 10 workshops with the community and received notice that Glasdon have agreed to support us with funding to enable us to carry out at least one more workshop.
The artist who created the canvas above requested to have the address for suicide prevention services included here
Samaritans – for everyone
Call 116 123 – 24/7
Email jo@samaritans.org
Mental Health Helpline – for everyone
Call 0800 915 4640 – Monday to Friday 7pm – 11pm, weekends 12 noon – 12 midnight
Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) – for men
Call 0800 58 58 58 – 5pm to midnight every day
Visit the webchat page
Papyrus – for people under 35
Call 0800 068 41 41 – Monday to Friday 10am to 10pm, weekends 2pm to 10pm, bank holidays 2pm to 5pm
Text 07786 209697
Email pat@papyrus-uk.org
Childline – for children and young people under 19
Call 0800 1111 – the number won’t show up on your phone bill, 24/7
The Silver Line – for older people
Call 0800 4 70 80 90 – 24/7
https://www.blackpool.gov.uk/Residents/Health-and-social-care/Public-health/Suicide-prevention.aspx
We would like to acknowledge our most recent grant funding from the ‘Edith Mary Clark Foundation’, and thank the trustees for awarding us £500 to continue our creative activities with local people and families on the Fylde coast.
We now envisage some of this funding to be utilised for creating art packs for families currently isolated due to the current situation.
We feel privileged to work with our community and are enabled to do so through generous funding from local organisations.
We also continue with our project ‘Upwards and Outwards’ funded by Blackpool Coastal Housing: BCH
On March 2nd we began our creative sessions with families living at a Central Blackpool location. Sessions will be held at the New Life Church, 6 Queen Victoria Rd, Blackpool. These ‘face to face’ workshops are currently ‘on hold’ due to the current situation.
In around two weeks we hope to start back working on the large mosaic, working with local, Revoe and Central Blackpool residents again, thanks to previous funding from the community chest, Revoe-lution funding.
Life.
Life may be tough
Things will get rough
There will be bad days and good
but if the bad days are too much
Please don’t give up
Always stand tall
Always hold your head up high
because as long as you keep moving
there will be no more goodbyes
keep moving
keep fighting
one win at a time.
Poem by G. Dunn 2020
We would like to thank Tracy – ‘Lytham Community Network’ for her recent generous donation of arts materials that will continue to help us offer free materials to participants during our workshops.
Last Legs will be working with local families by offering creative activities free to people experiencing financial hardships due to complex personal circumstances, thanks to our recent funding received from Edith Mary Clark Foundation
As always we seek to work with individuals and groups who often miss out on creative opportunities .
Working on some ‘scraper board’ art Dec 2019
young people working on a graffiti wall art piece
in communal dining area
Young people spray painting their design on to the wall
Poem being written in to the art work above
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.
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
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’Â
St Annes-On-Sea art group
We recently worked with an arts for health group in 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 2019Â
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’Â 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.
Â
Â
Â
Â
Â
Â
Â
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.
Â
Â
Â
Â
Â
Â
Â
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.
Â
Â
Â
Â
Â
Â
Â
Â
Lee’s drawing up on the backer board ready to add tiles.
Â
Â
Â
Â
Â
Â
Â
Keep watching the blog for updates.
Â
Â
Â
Â
Â
Â
Â
Margaret tried out a windmill design, while Andy ‘supervised’.
Anita tried out a house design.
Â
Â
Â
Â
Â
Â
Â
Â
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.
last legs community arts health 