M/Others Who Make Bournemouth: Creative Workshops

Aim: Creative workshops for mothers and non-binary caregivers to connect, grow and make - led by diverse artists in Dorset’s underserved areas.

M/OTHERS WHO MAKE: BOURNEMOUTH

We’re raising £1,000* to run 12 months of free community arts workshops for mothers and non-binary caregivers in the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole conurbation - led by diverse, local artists, with all materials and breakfast provided.

What We're Doing

We’re Emilie and Corrianna: two neurodivergent mother-artists running Dorset’s first branch of M/Others Who Make - an international initiative supporting mothers and non-binary carers to create while caring.

Since February 2024, we’ve voluntarily hosted monthly visual arts workshops in Boscombe, offering a welcoming space to make, share, and connect.

Now, we want to grow!

With your support, we’ll run a full 12-month programme:

• Monthly workshops in Boscombe, West Howe and Branksome - three of the most deprived areas in our locality (partnering with TOSH, the Henry Brown Centre and the Branksome Centre, plus an 'offsite' workshop trip to SpudWORKS in the New Forest)
• Led by diverse, local mother-artists with specialist skills and lived experience (in collaboration with BEAF Arts Co)
• With outreach to engage caregivers facing isolation, low income, or mental health challenges
• Including breakfast, all art materials, toys and play space for any little ones

Who It's For

Our workshops are for any kind of maker, and every kind of mother - including:

• All ages: expectant, new, and experienced mothers
• Step, adoptive, foster and single parents
• Mothers of older children, or without living children
• Trans and non-binary caregivers
• Those facing anxiety, low confidence, poor mental health or financial hardship

We provide everything: materials, guidance, tea, toast, toys. Children are welcome to attend, or not - it's the attendee's choice. No experience is needed.

Why It Matters

We know from experience that care responsibilities limit access to creative spaces. As artists and mothers, we’ve struggled with isolation, loss of identity, and increased mental health pressures (and we still do). 

“These sessions are vital. Motherhood is hard and isolating at times and events like these provide sanctuary. There’s nothing else like them for maternal mental health.” Lizzy, Boscombe Workshop

This project is about:

• Making creativity accessible to caregivers
• Helping mothers rediscover their voice and identity
• Building confidence, wellbeing and community
• Broadening access to the arts
• Championing and investing in the value of caregiving within the creative landscape

We’ve already seen the impact: participants leave feeling fulfilled, connected, and inspired. Now, we want to increase the support that we're able to offer.

How Your Donation Helps

We’ve applied to Arts Council England to cover the majority of our costs, and we’re contributing our own time and discounts from local venues and artists - but we need to raise at least £1,000* here to make this happen.

Your donation will help cover:

• Artist fees and specialist materials
• Food and drink for each session
• Travel support for participants who need it
• Outreach to reach underserved mothers

If we hit our goal and receive our ACE funding, we can deliver the full 12-month programme. If we raise more, we can start investing in the next 12 months!

Whatever the outcome - all donations will be used to support m/others to access the project.

*Plus platform fees

Who We Are

Corrianna Clarke: I'm a community artist based in Boscombe. With a background in illustration and animation, I use visual arts to help people to tell their stories - especially those we don't often hear from. I have 5+years' experience working on community arts projects in Dorset, and 10+ years' experience in creative project management - with a passion for helping people access and engage with the arts. 

Emilie Giles: I'm an e-textiles and creative technology artist-educator, with 15+ years' experience delivering hands-on workshops in art and tech for diverse audiences. I specialise in co-creating interactive artworks with communities, particularly marginalised groups. I lead inclusive projects that prioritise accessibility, and collaboration. I'm also Senior Lecturer in Graphic Design at Arts University Bournemouth.

Together, we believe that having children and caring responsibilities shouldn’t limit your access to being a creative - whether that is your career, hobby or otherwise.

Photography by Alexandra Szigeti

Funding method

Keep what you raise – this project will receive all pledges made by 3rd September 2025 at 12:00pm