Creative ways to connect during lockdown

We all know the importance of staying connected at the moment – but endless Zoom calls alone don’t give you the full experience of real connection and community.

So in May, we launched a callout to artists and makers to submit their ideas to create work that could respond to, and connect individuals and communities across Gloucestershire in this time of crisis.  The work has been commissioned by Create Gloucestershire and Strike a Light with support from Cheltenham Festivals. We narrowed down the applications to these 8 talented artists who have each designed a project which will encourage new and uplifting ways for people to:

  • stay connected 

  • feel part of a community

  • express themselves artistically

  • make their voices heard – especially people who feel cut off or excluded

Check out the full set of projects below. You can get involved with many of them and we’d love you to join us and take part! Follow the hashtag #creativityconnection to see the work develop.


These projects are all designed to connect, support, uplift and console their communities

Danielle Saloum

Sisterhood
Danielle’s project uses photography and mixed media to highlight ten women from the Gloucestershire region. By sharing ten uplifting stories based on diverse, extraordinary women from this area, Daniella celebrates and pays tribute to the multi-dimensional beauty of women, especially during this time of crisis. Each woman will give her thoughts on aspects of COVID-19, encouraging the audience to look at this scenario from another perspective; interacting and connecting with people in this unprecedented time.

Get Involved
Discover the series of videos on the Strike a Light Instagram page and also on Danielle Salloum’s account.

Find the photographic Sisterhood series, and more of her projects on www.daniellesalloum.com.

About the artist
Danielle is a young photographer, filmmaker and artist who is passionate about raising awareness on issues she feels strongly about from human rights and social equality, to the struggling environment to the rise of veganism. 

www.daniellesalloum.com


Tolmeia Gregory

Tolmeia’s project focuses on creating a collection of animated GIF stickers with positive solutions to the coronavirus crisis. To enable those in Gloucestershire to spread awareness and inspire others to champion different actions. 

Some of the themes these animated stickers will include:

• Looking out for each other

• Reaching out to vulnerable people

• Embracing creativity

• Adaptation and processing grief/changes in lifestyle

• Reflecting on what’s important

• Inspiring people to stay connected with communities even after COVID-19

About the artist
Tolmeia is a verified GIPHY artist and illustrator. Her collection of animated stickers has been viewed over 7 billion times.  She has worked with campaign groups and organisations such as Extinction Rebellion, Fashion Revolution and Lonely Whale, all of which have had great success with the launch of our collaborative sticker collections. Her activism work is based both offline and online - she uses Instagram to discuss environmental issues as well as sustainable fashion. Her offline work is rooted in direct-action where she is an activist and coordinator for Extinction Rebellion, both locally in Cheltenham and internationally. 

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Soozy Roberts 

Covid Covers 
Covid Covers is a heart-warming project, to help Gloucestershire people come together through this unprecedented time to remember those loved, those lost, the unsung heroes, the NHS staff and all the amazing keyworkers working tirelessly to protect us across our county.

This project is collecting song requests and stories, through BBC Radio Gloucestershire, Gloucester FM, Gloucester Royal hospital and social media, dedicated to anyone that needs to be remembered or reached out to during this time. People who would like a challenge or wish to get more creative are also invited to submit a photographic or collage ‘cover’ image, depicting their chosen song using themselves, family members and household objects. 

Get involved

Go to www.thecovidcovers.com

About the artist
Soozy Roberts is a socially engaged artist working in a range of disciplines and with communities to bring art into everyday environments and site-specific spaces. 

www.soozyroberts.com

www.thecovidcovers.com

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Viv Gordon

Voices from Lockdown
Viv is making a series of short videos of spoken word pieces that reflect the unique and unexpected as well as the shared experiences of the Gloucestershire community in lockdown. The monologues tell the stories of local people in a series of vignettes that are beautiful, funny and real. 

About the artist
Viv Gordon is a theatre maker (writer/performer), arts and mental health campaigner and survivor activist. The majority of her work explores mental health, abuse and trauma grounded in her lived experience of childhood sexual abuse. Her work is a campaign to forge survivor voice, visibility and community. Find out more at www.vivgordon.com or on her page on facebook.

Get involved

Watch the short video to find out more about the project. And if you’d like to add your voice please go to surveymonkey.co.uk/r/VivGordan to let Viv know you have a story to tell.

Find the series so far on the Create Gloucestershire YouTube channel.

Episode 1: Mattress. The first in a series of 'Voices from Lockdown' written and performed by Viv Gordon based on interviews with Gloucestershire residents.

Episode 2: Monster. The second cheeky instalment of 'Voices from Lockdown' written and performed by Viv Gordon - based on interviews with Gloucestershire res...

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.


Hannah Whyte

This project is a community art-radio show, focusing on the broadcast of local/emerging music, poetry, audio-based artworks, and writing. Live radio transcends space and borders, connecting people across towns, regions, and even countries, which is why Hannah thinks it’s an ideal format for art-sharing during a period of social isolation. Tuning in at a set time each week, with the knowledge that other people are hearing exactly what you are, is ultimately uniting, and could serve to bring people together during this isolated time, as well as providing a platform for little-known local artists.

This show was aired and enjoyed in June 2020, and you can still listen to the past shows on the website.

www.tincanradio.co.uk

About the artist
Hannah’s work revolves around community and collaboration. She is interested in books, zines, events, experiences, spaces, and their radical potential for bringing people together, forming alternative structures outside of the gallery format.

Find Hannah on Instagram : @han.whyte


Sarah Dixon

What Do You Dream Of?
Community art show in a phone box.
Sarahs #creativityconnection has set up a gallery in a decommissioned phone box on her street, and invited residents to create an artwork and exhibit in the individual windows.  Anyone can get involved and see the work.   

Get involved

Go to @redphoneboxart on facebook and find the images on @redphoneboxart on Instagram.

About the artist
Sarah Dixon is a socially-engaged conceptual artist using a broad range of platforms and media to create participatory works. A founding member of the WAAS, her work explores how the human social organism functions and evolves both online and IRL.



Daniella Tipton

The Next Act

Daniella’s #creativityconnection is to create a collaborative short film. 

Do you remember as a child playing a game where everyone sits in a circle and one member would start the story and it would carry on to the next person who would take the story in whatever direction they felt like? This project will take this same format and tailor it into a short film. Initially with other members of the Wilson Art Collective, then as a wider Gloucestershire based project.

Get Involved

Email Daniella at thenextactfilm@gmail.com, and find the Next Act channel on Youtube to see the acts so far.

About the artist

Daniella’s art-work is primarily based around mental health awareness. Creating work that encourages discussion around mental health illnesses such as anxiety and depression and children with problematic upbringings. One of her main goals in life is to be a role model to other people with disabilities and encourage them with their aspirations.

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Katy Costigan & Filskit Theatre

After bringing the family show, ‘Stella’ to Gloucester Cathedral last Autumn, Filskit will use their original story as the basis for multiple online activities aimed at children & their families starting with:

Stella Story Time – Using an illustrator along with a soundtrack of original music and Ivy from the show the story of Stella will be told on-line. Including original illustrations with green screen software in order to transport the audience into the world of Stella.

Wish upon a star – A simple instructional craft activity online for creating your own star, making a wish and sharing on social media channels. Plus option for Star letters in the post, like a Star Pen Pal!

How to be an alien – An interactive session with Stella - the girl on the moon.

About the artists

Filskit Theatre was formed in 2009 with a mission to ignite the imaginations of children and their families whilst developing artists, accessibility and hard to reach audiences. Filskit are committed to building future young and family audiences and a more inclusive, diverse and sustainable sector by developing the art form and the skills of our collaborators.


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