Following the launch of our new Folk Collection, inspired by the magical beauty and folklore of Cornwall, we are so pleased to be supporting the Arts with a percentage of our Folk Collection going to two incredible arts charities - Creative Kernow and Acting for Others.

In this blog series, we want to shine a light on the fantastic projects Creative Kernow's FEAST and Re-Ignition programme helps to support. The next in this series is Newlyn Art Gallery & The Exchange’s project ‘Extraordinary Postcards for Extraordinary Times’. 

Extraordinary Postcards for Extraordinary Times was initiated at the beginning of the lockdown as a way of keeping in touch with their audience, particularly those feeling isolated, when they couldn’t come in and visit in person. An initial print run of 3,000 postcards in packs of three, plus a Freepost envelope, went out with an invitation to represent personal lockdown experiences in any medium that would go on a Postcard, to be included in a gallery exhibition in the Autumn. 

“We realised it was an ideal opportunity to make new friends and reconnect with groups we had worked with in the past and, with Feast’s help, we reprinted another 3,000 postcards. This run has gone out to groups including schools in lockdown, the Penzance foodbank, St Petroc’s Homeless Charity, Whole Again Communities in Treneere, residential care locations, WILD Young Parents’ group, Shallal, Intercomm Trust serving young LGBTQIA+ people, Rio Gamechanger artists, art student groups, older peoples’ groups including our own Tea, Cake & Art, Cornwall Library Service including the Mobile Library, and groups, informal and formal, of people using art to enable wellbeing. “

“We have also had requests from far flung places: China, Hong Kong, New York, Vermont, Norway, Malta, Gibralta, Singapore, all over Europe, the UK and of course Cornwall (67% of packs have gone to Cornish (TR) postcodes). 33% of packs have gone to households in the top 10% most deprived neighbourhoods (IMD 2019), 38% in the top 20%. We have about 200 postcards back and anticipate a return of around 1,000 postcards out of 6,000 sent out.”

The deadline for return of Postcards is the 12 September. The postcards will be displayed in the beautiful upper lantern gallery at Newlyn   (19 Sept 20 – 2 Jan 21) and online as a digital exhibition for those who can’t visit right now. If you’d like to take part last minute, please contact Newlyn Art Gallery & The Exchange on:   info@newlynartgallery.co.uk. 

We are donating 10% of sales from our new Folk Collection Scented Tin Candles in Amber, Oak and Moss, to arts charities Creative Kernow – FEAST and Acting for Others throughout the months of August and September (2020). Explore our new Folk Collection on our website  here.

Keep an eye on our website and social media to read more about the amazing art projects we're helping to fund.

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