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OCD On Tuesday 11th October between 16:00 and 18:00 I’ll be facilitating a small event to explore Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and the Art...

OCD

On Tuesday 11th October between 16:00 and 18:00 I’ll be facilitating a small event to explore Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and the Arts at the Manchester School of Art. It will be a very informal get-together to discuss shared experiences of OCD - and the creative impulse. The session is open to anyone who has personal experiences that they are happy to share, alongside works of art we might discuss that are informed by ritual, or are appealing in their seemingly ritualistic aesthetic. Any art-form is appropriate to explore. To reserve a place, just email by clicking here.

AN EXTRAORDINARY MENTION

Thanks to Jane Ratcliffe, Vicky Charnock and countless others for making the last few weeks happen! Thanks too, to Ross and Bob Bannerman and the hugely supportive Jonny Langlois. All of you have made the work that Vic McEwan and I are embarking on possible. Something quite profound will emerge.

Andrejaus Kibisovo

The work of Socialiniai Meno Projektai continues to flourish, and as part of the exhibition of work by people affected by homelessness currently running in the National Art Gallery of Lithuania, a discreet arts project by Andrejaus Kibisovo is currently receiving rave reviews in national press and TV. This coverage of an artist who lives outside the system is quite exception. More details are available here.

Stroke: Stories of Self Through Art and Science

Friday 4 November (12:30 – 4:30pm) at the Whitworth Art Galley

The Stroke Association and University of Manchester ran creative workshops with a group of stroke survivors across 2015-16. Focussed on creative writing, visual arts, photography and music, the interactive workshops brought together stroke survivors, artists, clinicians, musicians, filmmakers, researchers and students from the University of Manchester and Salford Royal Hospital. Two exhibitions were created from the work produced to tell the survivors' stories through their artwork. The first was at Manchester Central Library and the second at Victoria Baths. The final stage of this exciting and innovative project is to have an evaluation symposium at Whitworth Art Gallery to reflect on the project and propose next steps for implementing and developing a project such as this for further reach and benefit to stroke survivors and others.

To attend the symposium, to meet those involved, and to find out more about it and to contribute to the wider debate around arts, health and wellbeing. Click HERE to reserve your place.

Spare Tyre Theatre Company

The Garden is a multisensory, interactive installation and workshop for people with dementia and their carers. Bringing the outdoors in, it grows organically as different stories unfold using puppets, music and digital art. The Garden will next be tour­­­­­ing to arts venues, community spaces and residential care homes across London during Autumn 2016. Find out more about booking the the tour here, or email Lynette or call 020 8692 4446 (ext. 273).

Arts Council England: Celebrating Age

Deadline: 13 Oct, 12noon

Supporting cultural spaces and other organisations to be open, positive and welcoming places for older people; and taking high quality arts and culture into places where older people will find it easier to engage. Applicants must be working in partnership in a consortium with one lead organisation. To be eligible to apply, the lead applicant needs to be Arts Council funded, or have presented work to the public through ACE programmes. Read more here.  

Everything is Really Good
This is just about perfect David Shrigley. Nothing else needs saying, but if you need more info, click on the Fourth Plinth.

Big Lottery Fund: Celebrate!

Deadline: 21st October 2016

The Big Lottery Fund has announced that the final dealine for all Celebrate Funds (England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland) is 21st October 2016. Six out of ten people surveyed say they cannot remember ever coming together to celebrate with their community. The Big Lottery Fund wants to help change this with the Celebrate! programme. Voluntary and community organisations with a constitution and bank account, schools and statutory bodies can apply for grants to hold one off events or activities that celebrate their local community. This can be someone from history or the present day. Priority will be given to:

Schools and academies

Projects that are people led and are something the community wants

Projects which demonstrate communities coming together to celebrate and share their diverse cultures

Projects which actively bring different generations together.

Read more here.

Funding for Digital Projects with a Social Impact 

The Nominet Trust which provides funding and support to technology with a social benefit, has announced that its Social Tech Seed Investment Programme has re-opened for applications. Social Tech Seed is an investment programme that offers early-stage investment typically of between £15,000 and £50,000 to social entrepreneurs and charitable organisations who are looking to develop new ideas to use digital technology for social benefits. This programme provides funding and support to help entrepreneurs nurture, develop and test their ideas including environment and sustainability, education, employment, wellbeing and healthcare. Applicants may also be able to apply to a discretionary fund of up to £5,000 should they need access to specific expertise to support their early-stage development. The closing date for stage 1 applications is the 25th October 2016.  Applicants successful at this stage will have until the 6th December 2016 to submit a stage 2 application. Read more HERE.

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