Storymine CIC

Aim

Supporting young people and their mental health in Shropshire through social prescribing clay activities delivered to their doors

We are an award-winning social enterprise based in South Shropshire. We are passionate about art and creativity and of its value in supporting matters and should be accessible to all. We are a small social enterprise with a big heart.

We are a husband and wife team with years of experience working in the arts, brining activities, workshops and exhibitions to marginalised groups. 

During the pandemic we started to deliver clay packs to support a range of community led organisations as well as isolated individuals and groups.

We recognised the importance of creativity in eleviating stress and anxiety and 

STORYTELLING IS THE MOST POWERFUL WAY OF PUTTING IDEAS INTO THE WORLD TODAY

Storymine is a team of arts professionals that use fairy tales, folk stories, global myths and cultural legends as the foundation for our work. We are filmmakers, artists, musicians and poets, storytellers who are passionate about creating art and celebrating community. Storymine is a Community Interest Company launched in 2017 that exists to create collaborative artistic works, events and performances that engage with issues being faced by communities in the UK and beyond.

ART CHANGES PEOPLE AND PEOPLE CHANGE THE WORLD

We are living in changing world. Technological advancements, social and political upheavals, recessions and probably the biggest refugee crisis since WWII. Right now we live in a socially and politically turbulent landscape, with a globally fractionalised society. Yet in the midst of this we still all feel the human need and desire to find ways to connect with others, to share community.

What can a story, or a film, or an artistic work, do to bring people together? What can art and creativity do to inspire, to bring hope, to celebrate diversity? Our mission is to build team, to work collaboratively with professional artists and community groups and create artistic works of excellence that raise awareness of social issues and try to discover ways to resolve them. We want to create, perform and share artistic works that entertain, inspire, educate and inform. We want to develop long term engagement with community groups in the UK and beyond through a range of arts and creative activities.

The money we raise from this campaign will go towards the creation of two community-based arts initiatives that will serve local community groups; a collaborative film based on the folk tale Nail Soup and a ceramic installation project called Portal that will site work in forests and woodlands. 

Nails tells the story of a community ravaged by austerity, hopeless and fearful, who have forgotten what it is to live and to love. Then a group of mysterious and magical strangers arrive, who inspire an amazing transformation. The film will be shot in rural locations with members of local community groups and the finished film will be entered into national and international film festivals.

Portal is a ceramic light installation inspired by numerous fairy tales and folks stories where magical portals transport people to new lands and far away places. Participants will cast their own porcelain door handles whilst sharing their stories about life, community and hope. These will form part of a light sculpture placed in woodlands and forest trails.

STORYMINE = EXPLORE + DISCOVER + DEVELOP + CREATE

Storymine Director Peter Summers grew up in the jungles of northern Thailand. He has travelled all over South East Asia, gathering stories and experiences. After having trained at the renowned Rose Bruford College in Directing, Peter worked on the London Fringe Theatre circuit, writing, devising and producing. He has written two screenplays, one of which was optioned by Stephen Fry's company Sprout Pictures. He is passionate about community and creating films that highlight real life issues in ways that entertain but also explore ways of inspiring change. His current project Nails, will begin production in early 2018.

Storymine Director Emma Summers (yes they are married) has over 20 years of experience as a ceramic installation artist. Her work has been exhibited and toured nationally and internationally. Her work has been featured in The Times and The Daily Telegraph, she has been interviewed on BBC2 and featured in several books, including Confrontational Ceramics, by Judith Schwartz.  Emma has successfully secured Arts Council funding for part of her project Portal and a portion of the money raised here will go towards the remaining costs.

YOU CAN MAKE A STORY FROM ANYTHING YOU TOUCH

The Storymine Directors have decades of experience working with communities and organisations in the UK and beyond on a range of arts projects. These include the Red Cross, Christian Aid, Medical Teams International, Partners Relief and Development, Internuncio, the Bangladesh Centre for Advanced Studies and Health and Nutritional Development Services. These projects were funded through a number of streams, including the Commonwealth Broadcasting Association, the British Council, the Arts Council, the Film Council and numerous trusts and foundations. They also have extensive experience working with arts organisations in the UK and internationally, including the MAC, Birmingham, Triskel Art Gallery, Cork, the Sanskriti Foundation, Delhi, Wolverhampton Art Gallery, Battersea Arts Centre and the Institute of Contemporary Art, London, and Chiang Mai Art Gallery, Thailand. 

CREATIVE     COMPASSIONATE     TRANSFORMATION

This project successfully funded on 16th November 2017