NatWest Bring it 2020 has provided £50 of match funding
Crafty Art Pod. A place for creatives to earn
Lydney, England, United Kingdom
Aim
We plan to open a cafe/one stop shop for people that have disabilities or are Carers to sell their products.
After being made redundant recently, partially due to having Fibromyalgia, I've decided to help others in my position. We'd like to create a safe, warm, inviting environment where each person can rent a space in a shop to sell their Arts and Crafts, and coffee shop area to meet with others in the Forest of Dean or a town nearby Lydney where foot fall is good and has disabled access. Our space would be run by staff and the artists, giving customers chance to meet the people behind the products.
This project is aimed at talented people whose life limiting conditions mean they struggle to be consistent in bringing their talent to the public. However, I don't want to stop there: I'd like to include people who have children with a learning or physical disability, like my friend Louise Penny.
Louise was an Art teacher who has had to stop working to take care of her son. However her art still has a place in the world.
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Another friend, Tracey Ann, who has mental health issues and social phobias can crochet the whole of Hogwarts Castle... Without a pattern.
Our project would be perfect for parents who struggle at the work place without childcare, and of course those with learning disabilities that have talents which fall under the radar: take a gentleman I know who makes bird boxes, hedgehog homes and planters.
We would also like to open up a space for teenage carers of parents with limiting conditions to showcase their art and craft. Poppy has said, 'The project is a great idea for child carers. Art is obviously a great outlet: it's a way to express myself and have something personal just for me, as being a child carer can be difficult. I don't get to go out as much as my friends and money can be tight; it creates an opportunity for me online to create friendships and opportunities through art'. Here is some of her work
Many people faced with these conditions struggle with finding employment and holding down that job, due to days off sick, hospital appointments, lack of support and/or if they have a learning disability, to get their products seen at craft fairs can be difficult. Meeting others face to face can be challenging if you're on the spectrum; our project would eliminate that worry. Meet Jeremy, the best coffee maker this side of the pond. Jeremy is originally from New Jersey, and is a very sociable, cheeky chappie, and would love to run his own coffee shop. Wouldn't that be great if we could help him do that with us.
Our aim is for our project to ease the worry around losing your job and meeting the public. To provide a space to create income and have support from other creative people.
Why should you back us: your money would be going directly into giving someone who is struggling to be financially independent a huge opportunity to use the talents they have to be self employed. Louise has said 'It’s hard for people with life long illnesses and for Carers to work. This project is to help those who need that support of others and space to exhibit their art which can help their confidence and positivity and well-being. Art can have an amazing impact on people’s lives, we need people to help to get this project off the ground, as we believe this will have such a positive impact on people in our community'
We need to raise about £5000+ to open a shop and coffee shop and run it for a few months until the business starts to make money to pay for the rent etc. We would hope that the coffee shop would yield a good turnover and fee's from each sellers areas, which we will try to minimise, will go on to fund the project's overheads.
Your Pledge Rewards.
*PLEASE NOTE SHIPPING COSTS - OUTSIDE OF UK WOULD REQUIRE AN ADDITIONAL PLEDGE, INSIDE THE UK IS OPTIONAL PLEASE CLICK APPROPRIATE BOXES AT CHECK OUT*
£5 A tote bag designed by us.
£10 Precious stone bracelet. Male or Female style on request.
£15 A wooden plaque designed and made by myself or Louise.
£20 Ladies Scarf and Bracelet or a crochet Flower by Tracey Ann
£50 A sketch or picture similar to these by Louise Penny or
£ 50 Ladies scarf and Precious stone bracelet and necklace set or A 2 hr mixed Media class with Louise Penny or bracelet making class with me. Please note that all pictures are used as examples and materials and products will change due to availability, quality will still be as good.
The Future.
We would dearly love to expand our project by offering 'how to' classes for the public run by our artists and creatives. Here are some examples run by Louise.
Come and find our page on Facebook to see more about some of the people that are involved in our project and who would benefit from the money raised and check out our group where we support each other, have a laugh and show off our crafts.
LINKS; Page link https://www.facebook.com/CraftyArtPod/
Group link https://www.facebook.com/groups/198485258014425/
This project successfully funded on 30th March 2020