Inspire continues second branch of its I Am A Creator community programme with launch of I Am An Artist Publication and Podcast

‘I Am A Creator’ aims to provide high-quality arts opportunities for people of all ages, empowering audiences - who may not always recognise themselves as creative - to work alongside professional writers and artists as they co-create and bring to life their stories and experiences across a range of artforms. This includes people affected by dementia, older people, specialist schools, neurodivergent families and wider public audiences, offering them opportunities to explore creativity alongside professionals, especially those who may feel excluded from the arts. The three-year project is being structured around different themes each year: ‘I Am A Writer’ in year one, ‘I Am An Artist’ in year two, and ‘I Am A Storyteller’ in year three. ‘I Am An Artist’ is the second completed project of the series.

‘I Am An Artist’ has been all about creating art together and giving participants agency over their creative process, and the beauty of this collaborative approach has been its unpredictability. The new publication beautifully captures this journey, showcasing drawings, collages and artworks co-created in 2024 by five professional artists and community groups across Bassetlaw, Ashfield, Mansfield, and Newark & Sherwood — including Blidworth Memory Group, Bowbridge Court Care Home, Oasis Community Centre, Redgate Primary Academy in Mansfield, and Bracken Hill Primary School in Kirkby-in-Ashfield. The artists involved in the project (Dan Donovan, Deborah Frith, Lawrence English, Rachel Hayes and Rachel Scanlon) encouraged participants to explore their creativity through playful, exploratory methods such as collage, free-form painting, clay sculpting, mini models and a co-created mural. You can see the results of their work in person at the ‘I Am An Artist’ exhibition currently open at Mansfield Central Library, and in the new publication which is now available to pick up for free at all Nottinghamshire libraries and to view digitally: I Am An Artist: Publication | Inspire - Culture, Learning, Libraries

The 'I Am A Creator’ podcast series, which Inspire kicked off earlier this year with ‘I Am A Writer’, continues this autumn with five new episodes dedicated to the ‘I Am An Artist’ project. Host Annie Warren returns to interview the artists and Inspire team members behind the work, in a bid to share valuable insights and learning gained from the project. The opening episode features artist Rachel Hayes, who collaborated with the Oasis Community Centre in Worksop, and shares insights into the creative process and impact of her work on the project.

The first two episodes of the 'I Am An Artist podcast are now available to stream on Spotify and on the Inspire website, with new episodes released at the start of each month.

Find out more about the podcast: I Am A Creator: Podcast | Inspire - Culture, Learning, Libraries

Spotify: I Am A Creator | Podcast on Spotify