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 Sensory Trust and their creative community project.

FEAST funding enabled Sensory Trust to work with artist Naomi Hannam of Creative Roots to design, create and send out activity packs to their 165 creative spaces members. The packs were designed to connect group members to nature over this period, especially those who are unable to go outdoors due to shielding and living in flats/without easily-accessible outdoor space. It was important that these activities were easy to understand and that those who live alone with dementia were still able to take part.

 
One of the beautiful creations from this project

"We decided on three activities: ‘Painting from your window’, ‘Making a clay bird’ and ‘Making a felted soap bar’. All three don’t require participants to go outside to take part but could be embellished by things found or observed outside. ‘Painting from your window’ included inspirational images by David Hockney, inviting our group members to use bold and bright colours to depict what they can see from their windows using acrylic paints. ‘Making a clay bird’ included some feathers, clay and invites people to use things from around their house to impress into the clay – e.g. biro end, teaspoon edge. ‘Making a felted soap bar’ creates a different sensory experience by wrapping carded wool around soap and placing it into a stocking, rubbing it whilst dunking it in water."

Gulpie, one of the clay bird creations

"Each activity had accessible instructions with the materials needed. We also created a stop-motion film of the activity packs with their contents along with ‘how-to’ videos, to widen the reach of our activities and invite people outside of our groups to take part. 

We have been inundated with positive feedback about the packs. In each pack we included a letter along with a feedback form, making a point of the importance of both positive and negative feedback. Gillian, a carer from our Wednesday Wanderers walking group in St Ives:

“The pack is amazing. I couldn’t believe it! I particularly liked the felting activity. It’s so different and sensory. Thank you”.

Alan, a carer in our Camborne group said:

“They are very good to pass the time away, especially at these terrible times. My wife is in a home with dementia, so this has helped me to pass the time away”.

St Just-in-Penwith Church by Virginia Langdon

Everyone who completed our feedback forms said the packs “definitely” made them feel connected to nature, “definitely” made them feel a sense of achievement and “definitely” made them feel connected to their Sensory Trust group. Virginia, a person living with dementia at our Paul Nature Group, said: “the main outlet for me is my art so I enjoyed the change of making pictures from my windows”."

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 UK 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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