#WelcomeToGMcr - Creative Wellbeing
1
The Pitch
Problem statement
The programme has a wide scope to develop a strong legacy and we’ve already consulted with a number of people who have been through the struggles of the asylum/refugee process and have now made their homes mainly in Salford and across Greater Manchester – most live in areas of high deprivation. There are around 600 mainly Black African families that we will reach with just this part of the project. The respondents want access to creativity in all forms to connect with others, improve mental wellbeing and provide something of worth to Our Greater Manchester – they have asked for opportunities in music, dance, theatre, digital and visual arts and we will do everything we can to provide them.
Solution
Our #WelcomeToMcr project will explore the experiences of people who have moved to the Region and discover the stories that will inspire and share the solutions that people have found to connect with others, create new lives and celebrate the uniqueness of Our Greater Manchester. Our Greater Manchester has benefited from the inspiration, vibrancy and the love for community that many people have brought with them to make the region better in so many ways and we want to celebrate this through art, film, podcasts and other mediums to dispel the negativity around asylum and provide people with opportunities to develop employable skills, improve mental health and make new friends and connections.
Why are we best placed to deliver?
MancSpirit is a charity that harnesses Creativity and the Arts to inspire positive mental wellbeing. We work across Greater Manchester and registered with the Charity Commission (No. 1184128). We are committed to improve the mental health of those people who choose Greater Manchester as a home, for a career, for leisure or for learning. MancSpirit is unashamedly Mancunian in Design and Delivery. We see being Mancunian as an attitude and we value those people and organisations that share our Vision of caring for others, helping those that help others, getting stuck in and getting things done and work with a range of partners to make real change.
Focus Areas
Delivery plan
Budget breakdown
| Staffing - co-ordination, sessional workers, admin | £3,000 |
| Publicity | £500 |
| Running costs - rent, travel, legal costs, etc. | £700 |
| Equipment/Materials | £800 |
Beneficiaries
200 people
Expected impact
This project connects people, builds networks and collaborations across groups and communities through a common theme, provides opportunity for collaborations to create public art designed and produced by people living in the community and reaches out to people to develop new skills and build confidence. People within communities have told us that there is an increased need for this as they are still struggling with the impact of Covid-19. Through our creative activities (online and in person once safe to do so) participants can share their own stories, coping strategies and have the love and support of others. By improving access to creative activity we ensure that they have equality of opportunity and access to connections that foster improved mental wellbeing and reducuces social isolation. This project enables us to adapt our community offer, staff co-ordination, employ sessional workers, create publicity materials and purchase equipment to establish a new programme.
Track record
The project is community led resulting from regular discussions with groups and individuals that access our services and live in the local community. We have delivered two community festivals in Trafford and Wigan during this Covid-19 pandemic and it is through these connections with local groups that the need for this project developed. We have developed and piloted a range of Creative Workshops and Events that have supported a whole variety of people with a range of needs. These included entrenched rough-sleepers and those struggling with homelessness and poverty delivered at outreach centres. We also supported a South Asian ladies group who met once a week at a local school, an Asian Men’s mental health group, a number of groups supporting older ladies and expanded our work to support young Carers in Trafford, Nurses in Wigan and Black African Refugees in Salford and Manchester. We also urn our own community podcast, support developing artists and create and produce films.