Community Creates: Inspiring Camden
Delivered in partnership with
The Community Creates programme was a resident-led arts and theatre programme for the north Camden community. It connected local artists, residents and organisations to deliver a series of free arts and theatre workshops and events that the whole community could take part in and enjoy. It was designed and delivered by residents and artists working together.
Through the Creates Programme, residents could:
● Experience different types of arts, from painting to drama
● Gain creative skills and new forms of expression
● Design and lead workshops
● Meet new people and have fun
● Enjoy the programme for free!
Our project aims developed by the local community were:
1) Provide the opportunity to develop new skills
2) Be welcoming to those who don’t consider themselves artists
3) Create a safe space for everyone
4) Build community pride and connection
5) Offer sustainability and create a legacy
6) Have fun and feel good!
How it all Began: Hilgrove Creates
In the spring of 2021, the North Camden Zone Hilgrove Community Organisers met to discuss ways to support fellow Hilgrove residents recover from the coronavirus pandemic. Themes of mental health, isolation, and social anxiety were recurring areas of concern, as was the impact of the pandemic on the freelance workers on the estate.
Due to the success of previous arts projects, such as Humans of Hilgrove, the CO’s knew that these could provide powerful moments of connection amongst residents in a fun, restorative environment and before long, Hilgrove Creates was born.
The aim of the project was to build on the skills, knowledge and experience of local residents, and provide an opportunity for them to contribute to the local community. The project also aimed to make art accessible by providing free, local workshops and encouraging residents to form connections with one another over a shared interest.
In the months that followed, the Hilgrove CO’s worked with NCZ to secure funding for a program they designed with local artists from Hilgrove and Chalcots estates. Over the course of two months the CO’s facilitated workshops where Hilgrove and Chalcots residents met to learn about painting, sculpting, script-writing, theatre performance, film-making and photography. At the end of the program a celebratory exhibition was held at Belsize Library. In total, this project has reached 53 Camden residents.
The success of Hilgrove Creates has led directly to the creation of Community Creates in partnership with Hampstead Theatre. This new phase will begin to incorporate artists from outside the estate to diversify and expand the initiative and make it more sustainable so it can benefit even more members of our local community. The heart of the project, and one of the biggest strengths of the Community Creates, remains that it's co-designed and largely co-delivered by members of our local community, which is a fitting legacy and tribute to its origins on Hilgrove estate.
