Aspire to Create: Inspired by Nature & Empowered by Creativity – Red to Green
By Sheila Ceccarelli for Students and Staff at Red2Green
In autumn 2015, AccessArt was invited to lead a series of practical workshops as part of an Arts Council, Grants for the Arts project, Aspire to Create which was managed and delivered by Red2Green.
Red2Green is a ‘Cambridgeshire charity providing services including learning, leisure and work opportunities for adults with a wide range of disabilities.’
Aspire to Create aimed to ‘broaden its students’ access to creative opportunities.’
During a two week residency, Sheila Ceccarelli, from AccessArt, worked with Aspirations, a group of adult learners with Autistic Spectrum Disorders and staff at Red2Green, on a series of practical workshop sessions, exploring creative processes from drawing and printmaking to sculpture & casting, inspired by nature and culminating in an exhibition.
The Aspire to Create project was underpinned by the students’ research into a local 19thC amateur naturalist Leonard Jenyns and his connection to Charles Darwin. Prior to Sheila’s visits, learners visited the local church in Swaffham Bulbeck, where Jenyns was the vicar.
Learners had also visited the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge, exploring both 20th century and classical art works inspired by nature and the Sedgwick Museum of Earth Sciences. A box of skulls was also borrowed from the Cambridge University Museum of Zoology Loans Boxes service.
Sheila continued themes inspired by nature and natural form and offered students a bespoke opportunity to build up a repertoire of techniques and a portfolio of creative experiences.
The weeks were action packed and sessions were energetic and sometimes chaotic, but one of the most wonderful outcomes, beyond even that of the beautiful and thoughtful work created, was the transformation of the classroom into a studio and the commentary and conversations that happened there.
Sessions were documented and the series of AccessArt posts, below, created to offer a lasting archive to demonstrate how learners accessed the processes and highlight the extraordinary work produced.
Please note that not all was documented to protect the privacy of some of the learners who preferred to remain anonymous.
Many thanks to Sharon, Sally, Vicky, Jeanette, Alice and Elizabeth for their help during the workshops and inviting me to be part of such an inspiring and supportive learning environment – Sheila
Two: Patterns in Nature, Line and Wire
Paula Briggs, AccessArt
December 3, 2015 @ 12:47 pm
What a stunningly beautiful and moving collection of resources Sheila. A huge achievement to provide such a range of activities, materials and ideas in just two weeks – and the sensitive pace at which they were delivered really comes across. And such beautiful work by all involved. Very many congratulations!
sally
December 14, 2015 @ 7:18 pm
This has been such a wonderful project. We’ve seen the learners grow in confidence over the two weeks. We are so proud of our work. The room looks amazing for tomorrows exhibition……just wow!
Elizabeth
December 15, 2015 @ 3:42 pm
Such a great buzz at the exhibition. A huge thanks to Sheila for being such an inspiration to us all at Red2Green.
Paula Briggs, AccessArt
December 15, 2015 @ 3:45 pm
Sheila IS an absolute star isn’t she? It’s been such a pleasure watching this residency unfold – and the work looks fantastic – congratulations to all involved!
Suan Rowland
December 15, 2015 @ 6:39 pm
You achieved so much. It was wonderful hearing the learners describe what they did and how much they enjoyed it. It was a fantastic exhibition. Thank you Sheila and also to all the staff at R2G for creating the safe environment for learners to create and flourish.
Sheila, AccessArt
December 16, 2015 @ 11:00 am
Thank you Suan – it was lovely to meet you and so wonderful to see the learners so (rightly) proud of their work and all that they have achieved. A huge thank you to Red2Green for creating such a wonderful event. What a rich and memorable day!