A participatory arts programme for adults facing barriers to positive wellbeing
Torfaen Museum and Inside Out Cymru worked with Building Resilient Communities (BRC) Torfaen to deliver Create: Community Champions.
Funded by the National Lottery Community Fund Wales, this 48-week participatory arts programme supported adults facing barriers to positive wellbeing such as social isolation, unsupported neurodivergence, and physical health conditions through printmaking, ceramics and craft workshops in the museum.
Participants developed skills in creative problem-solving, decision-making and resilience, while meeting like-minded people and learning more about their community. Participants were encouraged and supported to progress towards volunteering and leadership opportunities.
The project was co-designed with BRC Torfaen support workers and service-users, who informed artforms and delivery formats. Professional artists Bill Chambers, Rhian Anderson and Nathan Sheen facilitated two-hour sessions that were low-pressure and adaptable, where participants could learn at their own pace.
Activities were adapted to meet individual access needs and interests. Exhibitions and celebrations provided an opportunity to showcase achievements and connect participants with each other, loved ones and wider community organisations.
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Across the project, there were 523 attendances from 28 individuals. Evaluation found that 100% of respondents enjoyed taking part, with 70% feeling more connected to others, and 60% feeling more confident, describing the sessions as motivating and inclusive.
Beyond these wellbeing outcomes, three participants progressed into Community Arts Champion roles, leading on their own peer-led craft groups, paid creative work or community leadership roles.
Create: Community Champions demonstrated the value of co-produced, place-based creative programmes that engage the community in their history and their present, building confidence and reducing isolation. Important recommendations include ensuring responsiveness, maintaining close partnerships and prioritising consistency.
“I enjoyed trying all the new things I learned and saw and getting to do something just for me. I enjoyed being able to get messy, having somewhere to go and to be with people who like the same things as me.”