APW Art House

Aim

A community art studio that will welcome everyone regardless of artistic ability. A collaborative and inclusive place to share and make art.

About me

The idea for the Art House evolved from my small business, Action Painting Workshops (APW), a business I have run for 10 years. At its core, APW is a team-building activity like no other: based on and fuelled by creativity.

A few years ago I decided the share this concept with children and started organising APWs during school holidays.

As French and Canadian, I am bilingual, and have been living in the UK since 2006. I have been painting and sculpting all my life and have had successful exhibitions in both France and the UK. I know first hand how daunting these experiences can be, and will use this experience to help encourage others within the Art House.

I am a great believer in the power of art and creativity and how they can help people in their day-to-day lives as well as bring communities closer. I have seen the benefits of engaging adults and children alike in individual as well as collective creative activities and feel that anyone should have the opportunity to be part of a creative art project. That is why I want to set up the Art House as a Community Interest Company (CIC), to make art, and the benefits of the creative process, accessible to everyone. I have the desire to create a positive impact in my community and bring people together in a creative way.

The project

The Art House in Worthing. A community art studio that will welcome everyone. A collaborative and inclusive place to share and make art. A creative space where everyone, from young to old, can access different arts and crafts workshops all year round.

Based on the concept of "public homeplaces," the Art House will create multiple opportunities for dialogue, skill sharing, and art making, between people of differing demographic backgrounds. This will facilitate new types of relationships, learning, and creative collaborations between people who may not otherwise meet. The Art House will celebrate, champion, and cultivate, the strengths and capacities of individuals and the community of Worthing, providing a safe space where people can meet, feel part of something, and take steps to overcome barriers they may face (e.g. isolation in their community/social groups).

At the Art House will be running paying workshops for children and adults:

-after-school clubs twice a week

-holiday clubs 3-4 days a week during school breaks

-open studio days when adults can just pop in and pay as you go and have access to all the art material

-specific workshops (acrylics, natural watercolours, clay, paper crafts....) booked in advance

-children birthday parties

-corporate team building days

-hen dos

-afternoon tea and painting

-wine and art evenings....to name a few

With the profits from these, Art House will offer free and subsidised access to the workshops to those most in need (e.g. children, young carers, those in receipt of certain public services). We will also offer work experience, a free library and free monthly talks with local creatives.

The funds raised

The funds raised through this Crowdfunding campaign will be used to make the space we are renting in Worthing town centre as inspiring as possible, using local tradesmen to do this. We will also need to purchase art material and amazing art books (charity shop and new) for our free library. We would also like to use the funds to hold monthly talks for the community and monthly exhibitions showing off the students' amazing work.

This project successfully funded on 30th July 2019