We're still collecting donations
On the 7th May 2024 we'd raised £5,700 with 142 supporters in 28 days. But as every pound matters, we're continuing to collect donations from supporters.
Help us expand our award winning Sourdough Bakery to earn the dough to fund more art projects, fostering employment and revitalising Ayr.
by Narture CIC in Ayr, South Ayrshire Council, United Kingdom
On the 7th May 2024 we'd raised £5,700 with 142 supporters in 28 days. But as every pound matters, we're continuing to collect donations from supporters.
At Narture CIC our mission is to bake real bread to earn the dough to fund arts projects. We're on a mission to blend the art of sourdough baking with town centre regeneration through creativity, sustainability, and wellbeing. But to continue making a tangible impact, we knead your support to expand our bread baking capacity!
We're urgently seeking £15,000 to fund the acquisition and installation of a new industrial bread oven, mixers, fridges and a pastry sheeter. We will use our funds raised to purchase equipment, to prepare the new space for the equipment and necessary trades to install them. These vital additions will allow us to meet the growing demand from local customers, restaurants and hotels while sustaining our commitment to artisanal quality and community engagement. With this investment, we can expand our production capacity, create even more fair work employment opportunities, and further our mission of fostering creativity, sustainability, and wellbeing within our community.
By supporting our crowdfunding campaign, you're not just contributing to the purchase of a piece of equipment; you're investing in the future of Ayr by means of supporting our social enterprise and the vibrancy of our community. Together, let's ensure that Narture CIC continues to serve as a beacon of hope, creativity, and culinary excellence for generations to come. Join us in shaping a future where every loaf baked is a testament to the transformative power of art, community, and sustainable living.
Over the past 8 years, we've transformed several vacant spaces in Ayr through a series of pop-up events, inspired by the Beuysian notion that 'everyone is an artist'. Previous projects can be viewed here: https://www.narture.co.uk/projects
Enterprises like Narture CIC play a critical role in the regeneration of Ayr town centre, as evidenced by our transformative impact on unused and derelict spaces. Our mission revolves around town centre revival, activating empty spaces with artistic endeavours. Our vision is to establish sustainable income sources, providing fair work employment and spaces for skill development and community engagement.
In the last four years we've brought several unused properties to life in Ayr, including our award winning Sourdough Bakery and popular Cafe on Sandgate, and Narture Studios, MAKE, and our latest venture, SHAPE, on New Market Street. We have taken these otherwise run down spaces and repurposed them into hubs for creativity and wellbeing in service of our community.
But our impact extends beyond physical spaces. Through partnerships with artists like Gerard Connelly, a respected photographer living with dementia, we curated his debut exhibition, "You Can See and I Can Remember," in collaboration with Heathfield House Nursing Home. This exhibit highlighted the beauty of our local landscapes and the strength of the human spirit. The exhibition opportunities we provide, like Gerard's and many others, along with workshops and volunteer roles, empower individuals to uncover their passions and potential, enriching not only their lives but also the wider community.
Over two months, we collaborated with National Galleries of Scotland and Recovery Ayr to facilitate creative workshops inspired by Alberta Whittle's exhibit at the National Galleries in Edinburgh. Inspired by Alberta’s themes of 'creating dangerously,' we explored Auchincruive Estate's history, using art as resistance for a compassionate future. Participants shared powerful stories, resulting in a transformative window exhibition at 58-62 High St, Ayr. This project provided a vital safe space for those in early recovery, offering hope and a creative outlet during a critical time, showcasing the profound impact of creativity in healing and transformation.
We've continually evolved as a dynamic enterprise, constantly growing and learning. Our Artisan Cafe in Sandgate began as an exhibition space. Starting with "Water Salt Grain" by a diverse artist collective, exploring the essential ingredients of bread making, to commissioning "Paper Cave" by local artist Laura McGlinchey, a versatile space blending sculpture and painting, we've transformed and utilised our space for various creative events. Our goal has consistently been to offer artists a platform to make, show and interact with the public. Through this, we aim to empower individuals to build confidence in their creativity and critical thinking skills, providing them with a sense of purpose in a world increasingly influenced by digital AI technologies.
Through our endeavours, we are currently employing 10 local people all earning a living wage, providing affordable studio spaces to 7 artists, supplying exhibition spaces to many artists and offering volunteer opportunities to retirees, students and anyone wishing to contribute their time. Local artisans and artists get a chance to earn money from running workshops, ranging from Acrylic Painting to Ceramic Mug Making, attracting locals keen on learning new skills and fostering creative employability. With our small team of employees and volunteers, we're providing versatile facilities where you can learn new skills, try Riso printing, delve into analogue photography, or simply gather for meetings and workshops. Every artist we engage with has the chance to gain exposure, confidence, and growth opportunities.
Our ultimate aim is to establish a fully sustainable arts organisation, generating our own income to offer a more accesible arts programme to the community.
The Sourdough Bakery is the primary income generator and we aspire to extend these facilities to increase our social impact further. However, expanding entails substantial costs. Your support is indispensable in sustaining and amplifying our meaningful initiatives.
Your generous donation today will enable us to invest in valuable resources to expand our baking capacity and ultimately provide more employment, more learning opportunities as well as fostering more creative initiatives. Together, we can make a lasting difference in our community.
Narture CIC acts as a hub for creativity, sustainability, and wellbeing in Ayr. Born amidst the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, this vision was nurtured by the collaborative efforts of Robert and Saskia Singer, an artist father-daughter duo. Their aim was to create a space not only for artistic expression but also to rejuvenate their hometown.
At the heart of Narture are Robert and Saskia, driven by their shared dedication to establishing a sustainable arts organisation. They aim to offer fair employment opportunities for artists, utilising both their creative and auxiliary skills. Additionally, they aspire to enrich the local community with arts and cultural programmes, and to establish a Peoples Art School concept across different spaces, addressing the lack of creative facilities upon leaving education.
The project aims to provide facilities and infrastructure to support creative individuals in maximising their skills. Primary skills represent their educational passions, while auxiliary skills encompass the jobs they undertake to support their studies. By harnessing these combined skills, the Peoples Art School aims to develop a sustainable, self-sustaining creative economy.
Sourdough Bakery:
Our first permanent space, Narture Sourdough Bakery at 3 Cathcart, Ayr, stands as a testament to our commitment to innovation and community impact. Renovated in June 2020, this bakery has been more than a place to knead dough; it's been a hub of transformation. From our initial experiments in 'proving our cause'—that baking sourdough can fund arts projects—this has achieved Bread Bakery of the Year award by Prestige Scotland for the third year running. Narture Sourdough Bakery has been the cornerstone of our social enterprise. Here, our handmade bakery produce is crafted and then retailed from our cafe across the road at 22 Sandgate, Ayr, as well as supplying wholesale to a number of significant restaurants and hotels. In line with our social mission, we intentionally produce surplus to supply nutritious items to local food banks, ensuring accessibility for those who may otherwise be excluded.
Narture Artisan Cafe:
Located at 22 Sandgate (The historic Lady Cathcart House), Narture Artisan Cafe has been a sanctuary for art and community engagement over the past two years. Originally utilised as an art space during the COVID-19 pandemic, the cafe has evolved into a vibrant hub where creativity meets culinary excellence. Through window exhibitions and performances commissioned from local artists, we've highlighted the historical significance of Lady Cathcart House to Ayr town centre. Everything we serve, from our specialty sourdough produce to our kombucha, coffee and teas, is made in-house using locally sourced ingredients.
MAKE:
MAKE is a ground-level accessible multipurpose area, esteemed within the local community, brimming with creative vitality. Here, we host monthly exhibitions and array of workshops where individuals can unleash their artistic flair, utilising resources like our Riso printer and community dark room for analogue photography. MAKE serves as a launchpad for local makers, providing a centralised location in Ayr town centre to exhibit and sell their crafts. More than just a space, MAKE fosters a sense of community, offering opportunities to learn, connect, and nurture confidence in creativity and critical thinking.
Narture Studios:
Adding another layer of history and charm to our offerings is Narture Studios, situated at 34 Newmarket Street, Ayr. This historic gem, once the first public library of Ayr dating back to 1870, now stands as a testament to our dedication to both wellbeing and creativity. The building is thoughtfully divided into two realms: one dedicated to nurturing wellbeing and the other to fostering creativity.
Our Urgent Need:
Amidst our flourishing endeavours, we face a pressing challenge. The demand for our handmade sourdough produce has surged, necessitating an expansion of our sourdough baking capacity. To address this need and further our mission of empowerment through creativity, we urgently require £15,000 to purchase essential bakery equipment, these funds will also cover the costs of hiring tradespeople to install the equipment. Additionally, we strive to improve and extend our bakery operations into Cafe Shape, our newly acquired food and arts venue situated at 32 Newmarket Street. This expansion will enable us to meet the increasing demand from both the community and local restaurants and hotels, while also allowing us to increase our earnings to sustain our creative projects. Through acquiring new equipment and optimising our space, we aim to increase revenue to support arts projects within our local community. This advancement brings us closer to our goal of becoming a fully self-sufficient arts organisation.
By supporting our crowdfunding campaign, you're not just investing in a bakery; you're investing in a vision of community empowerment, artistic expression and town centre regeneration. Together, let's ensure that Narture CIC continues to be a beacon of hope and creativity for all members of our society. Join us in shaping a future where 'everyone is an artist', and where positive change begins with each loaf we bake.
We truly appreciate your donations, and we hope our rewards brings you joy.
Let's work together to make this vision a reality!
This project offered rewards