Ongoing (Care Homes): Regular art sessions in West Dorset residential Care Homes. Sessions are seasonal, embracing a variety of art mediums and subjects.
Outcome: Resident’s quote: “We thoroughly enjoy our weekly art classes – it helps take your mind off things, am riveted for two hours.”
June 2024: ‘Art Without Age’ exhibition at Sou’-Sou’-West Gallery, Symondsbury. Displaying artworks by the residents of Harbour House Care Home, West Bay. Following the success of last year’s exhibition residents have been invited back to display work again. Residents are more engaged in the planning stages (e.g. coming up with exhibition title, planning work especially for the exhibition).
Summer Term and Autumn Term 2023: Mountjoy School, Beaminster (community special school) on behalf of Asker Nature Reserve Project: four workshops delivered, creating large, multi layered ‘infinity landscape’ of Asker Meadows responding to the pupils’ lived experience of spending time in the Meadows (litter-picking, river testing, planting trees). Working alongside poet Johnny Fluffypunk.
Outcome: Artwork displayed for one-off event in Bridport Town Hall. An accompanying book was produced featuring artwork and poems. Emotional investment and connection to the meadows reinforced by way of reflecting on what had been seen there, and imaginative responses.
September 2023: Bridport Arts Centre: ‘What is Beautiful?’ Community Exhibition. Engaged residents in Harbour House Care Home, West Bay, in a one-off workshop considering the question, ‘What is Beautiful?. Residents meditated, reflected and created, using poetry, famous paintings and images as prompts.
Outcome: We used these to create a ‘circularity’ response. The changing of seasons, the cycle of life – all came up in discussion and framed our response.
August 2023: ‘Past Times’ exhibition at Sou’-Sou’-West Gallery, Symondsbury. Displaying artworks by the residents of Harbour House Care Home, West Bay. Residents selected the pieces they wished to display and thoroughly enjoyed visiting the gallery to see their work on public display and engage with visitors.
Outcome: huge boost of self-esteem for work to be exhibited. Regularly refer back to the experience. Quotes from the Visitor Book included:
“Fabulous talent” “Well done and keep going”
June 2023: On behalf of Natural England: Nothe Fort, Weymouth, King Charles III England Coast Path Celebration Day. Working with writer Sarah Acton (Black Ven Press) as part of ‘Dorset Land and Sea Collective’, created infinity landscape and poetry in response to the South West Coast Path.
Outcome: Participants spent time observing the Coast Path with a new perspective. Included imaginative responses and encouraged people to ‘just join in’ and collaborate.
Summer 2022: On behalf of Dorset AONB, Dawn to Dusk workshops for Dorset ‘Green Spaces, Dark Skies’ events. Outside community art workshops, co-delivered with artist Ilse Black, at Maiden Castle Hillfort and West Bay Beach.
Outcome: Participants had the opportunity to observe landscape outdoors, try new materials, consider light and shadows and immerse themselves in this iconic Dorset landscapes.
August 2021 – November 2022: Stepping into Nature (Dorset AONB), Visual Artist for ‘Your Seasons of Stories’. Delivered collaborative sessions (with poet, storyteller and another visual artist) across Dorset with various community groups (including People First Dorset, In Jolly Good Company and in Dorset Libraries).
Outcome: Sessions culminated in the creation of a resource box, including Sarah Jane’s commissioned artworks, to 1,000 people in Dorset. For more information on this extensive project and downloadable resources please visit: www: https://dorset-nl.org.uk/park-event/your-seasons-of-stories/
Project evaluation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gX0jL-sJ3X8
October 2021: Roman Town House, Dorchester ‘Big Draw’ Event: Family Day, creating a piece of ‘kindness inspired floral art’ on primed black board, responding to the Big Draw’s 2021 theme.
Outcome: Families enjoyed the art-making process together in an accessible way.
