We love this little book of drawings and feedback from our evaluation round up of this Summer’s Poole Theatre Group’s Term!
Autumn Term – Now Booking!
Our Create:Connect Autumn Term has four fantastic FREE courses to choose from!
Register your interest HERE
Creative Writing Booklet
Creative work from our participants
We are pleased to share the lovely work produced by some of our participants on the Creative Writing workshops we held last autumn in partnership with Bournemouth University. Click here for a copy.
Writing in Action from our Creative Writing workshops in autumn 2024
As part of our Create:Connect programme we ran our third creative writing course in partnership with and held at Bournemouth University .
Over a series of eight different workshops participants used different prompts and approaches to explore ways in which they could start and continue writing. The time during these sessions for participants to undertake their creative process in a calm and supportive environment was valued highly.
Here are some of the comments that we had at the end of the course. These included not only the positive impact on their writing but also on their well-being and connecting with others.
“just the writing exercises and explorations were like a game every time, giving some insights about myself, and see writing as fun, I really enjoy it.”
“Awareness about how different aspects can make writing better or worse, or I suppose enhance it. That there is a nuance, that can be played with. Just a lot of new ideas about writing. “
“New people, university setting – brought up the desire to study again, seemingly absolutely unrelated to the course itself, and yet, a great side effect”
“Experience myself in a new/different way. – Definitely achieved. As English is not my first language, I found a level of appreciation for the fact that I can easily use the language. I felt a lot like a child at time, and it was great to reconnect with that, it’s been a while. I felt like if I would put more structured effort into learning about writing, I could write quite well, which is a surprising idea; Connect with others. – Definitely achieved. “
“Listening to other people’s stories and writing, and how it’s different, that in itself has been very connecting, and the fact that people showed up with their writing, they’ve shared, some of the stuff was quite intimate.” “There was a lot of showing up and that made connecting possible and great”.
Finally another great thing learnt: “Not get so hang up on the rules. See beyond the box. Allow myself to see beyond it and act beyond it;” What will you do?
What will you do next?!
CoCreate offer creative courses and projects open to people as part of their mental health recovery journey – if you feel being creative could help you to manage your mental health and wellbeing we welcome you to join us.
Sign Up or email us info@cocreate.org.uk
Information on other past projects can be found HERE
Create:Connect is kindly supported by
Supported by Dorset Community Foundation & NHS Dorset
through the Community Health & Wellbeing Fund.
With special thanks to our project partners
Power House Poole, and Lighthouse Poole
Call Out! Theatre Group in 2025
We love performing!
We’ve been running theatre groups, courses, and projects since 2021!
Theatre Group members performing ‘Did Not Attend’ – Feb 2024
Over that time we’ve held regular workshops at Lighthouse (Poole), and Black Cherry Theatre (Boscombe), we’ve collaborated with Extraordinary Bodies making our first public show, ‘Broken and Golden’ with their Young Artists, and been commissioned to create ‘Did Not Attend’ Forum theatre show that toured early in 2024.
We’d like to plan what we do next with you!
If you’re interested in joining a regular theatre group, or even taking part acting in a performance we’d love to hear from you!
Thursday 14th November
2pm – 3.30pm
Online – sign up to get the link and more details
Perhaps you’d like to find out more about what to expect, or maybe you’d like to tell us what you’re interested in learning more about – you might even have an idea for a show!
Come along to meet people new and old who share a love for theatre and performance, we’ll work creatively online to share ideas that will help CoCreate plan new projects and courses in 2025!
CoCreate offer creative courses and projects open to people as part of their mental health recovery journey – if you feel being creative could help you to manage your mental health and wellbeing we welcome you to join us.
Sign Up or email us info@cocreate.org.uk
Create:Connect is kindly supported by
Supported by Dorset Community Foundation & NHS Dorset
through the Community Health & Wellbeing Fund.
With special thanks to our project partners
Power House Poole, and Lighthouse Poole
‘Did Not Attend’ – NEW theatre show touring – February 2024!
CoCreate Theatre group are excited to share with you a new informal
theatre performance & open conversation called ‘Did Not Attend’.
CoCreate Theatre group is made up by people who have lived experience of mental health issues, together we’ve been working on a short Forum Theatre performance that we’d like to share with other groups with similar lived experiences.
If you’re interested in booking the play FREE of charge for your community group or service please contact us we’d love to hear from you!
You can read more about how to book the show here
What is the play about?
‘Did Not Attend’ is all about discovering more about the reasons people with poor mental health might miss NHS appointments, and discovering ideas together for what might change to improve this.
Forum Theatre is a form of theatre where the actors play out a story where a character faces a difficulty or challenge, and then the audience suggest different ways the play could go.
We see the play twice; the first time the audience watch the story, the second time they can stop the action and suggest different ways the actors might react to try and improve the outcome.
This play will focus on some of the reasons we think NHS appointments get missed, and then with the audience we’ll try and discover some ways things could improve together.
Why is this play, now?
‘Did Not Attend’ is an active and creative way to find out what people affected by the issues think;
By sharing the performance, and talking about the issues it raises with people it affects, we hope we can really understand the barriers, and contribute to improving access to healthcare. We’ll create a report using your feedback and ideas to share with Community Action Network and Public Health Dorset.
I
Supported by funding from NHS Charities Together via Dorset County Hospital Charity in association with Dorset Community Foundation
New Project! – Conversations Through Theatre
CoCreate are delighted to be working with CAN (Community Action Network) and Public Health Dorset, on a short project gathering insights from communities across Dorset to us to understand the barriers to people attending NHS appointments and what can be done to address these.
You can read more about the full project via Community Action Network’s website.
We’ll be working with new and existing members of our CoCreate creative community, working with people with lived experience of poor mental health, to develop new skills in leading workshops, performing, and ways to research into the two key questions:
1. What are the barriers to people attending NHS appointments in Dorset?
2. What do people think could be done to address these barriers?
The project starts in December, with creative training workshops for Volunteers in January and then we’ll go on tour, working with at least three other groups in BCP and Dorset to ask these questions through theatre and creativity.
We’ve two opportunities to get involved. The deadline for both is November 30th 2023.
Volunteer to be part of the project! More info here.
If you’re interested in learning more about theatre, and making a difference – we’d love to hear from you. You don’t need any previous experience to volunteer, just a willingness to take part, have fun and learn new things!
SIGN UP HERE
Paid Assistant Facilitator/Performer Role – For this project we’re able offer a paid opportunity to support the workshops and develop your skills as a creative health practitioner – you can find out more HERE
Supported by funding from NHS Charities Together via Dorset County Hospital Charity in association with Dorset Community Foundation
New Course for June at Bournemouth University!
CoCreate have been working to develop short courses, designed to support mental health and wellbeing, with Bournemouth Univeristy’s Department of Humanities and Law.
In Spring we hosted Telling (My) Stories, which offered 12 people the opportunity to explore using their own stories as creative prompts, alongside learning more about different artists and approaches who also use autobiography to make work.
I cannot stress how this helps with mental health but so many other areas in my life!!!
Telling (My) Stories Participant
Leading on from this great success we’re now excited to be able to share a new short course with Bournemouth University called ‘Writing My Future Self’
Led by Professor Hywel Dix, and supported by CoCreate co-director Gemma Alldred, this 5 week short course will explore how creative writing and story telling techniques can help you make and manage change in your own life.
If you find yourself at a cross roads, are thinking about making a change, maybe a new job, or change of pace…. come and explore what your next chapter might be in this supported group.
Writing Your Future Self is part of Create:Connect – our school of creative courses to support and maintain recovery
We’re offering this course, to people using mental health services, and people who’d like to try new ways to support their mental wellbeing.
Sessions will be focused on the artform, and are not intended as therapy, however we know that being creative in group settings is a great way to grow in confidence, make new friends, and spend time discovering more about your own thoughts and feelings.
More information can be found online, and booking is via our online sign up.
Contact us if you need the information in a different format, have any questions, or to discuss your access needs.
Our last course booked up quickly, so get in touch to reserve your place and avoid disappointment.
A Fab Day on Poole High Street
We had a fabulous time in May at our stand and on the high street as part of the heritage action zone cultural programme in Poole. We made fishes, badges, told stories, painted pictures and had a fun time.
We also learnt a lot through speaking to lots of people about their memories, thoughts and feelings about Poole and it’s High Street. Including stories about smuglers, swimming, fishing, the history of the high street, quay development and Miss World! We’ll be using some of these stories on our social media and will have a complete collection on the website at the end of the project. So if you have a story and haven’t told us it yet come along onthe 18 June or 2 July to our market stall (outside poundstretchers). If you can’t get along you can email us, send a photo, video or write up your memory to be included.
Theatre Taster Sessions in May
Sign Up now to take part in our taster sessions and find out more about if our Theatre Workshop Create:Connect Sessions are for you!
In May CoCreate are holding a short taster course of three evening sessions in Theatre.
There will be an option to stay on and work on our exciting Theatre Project taking place in June and July!
This short course is open to adults who use or have used mental health services, including people who feel getting creative would support and maintain their well-being.
More information available here
Winter Term – Create:Connect
We are delighted to be able to be able to share news of our new term of Create:Connect courses starting in the new year!
Our new term has four fantastic courses to choose from
New for 2022 is Textile, Stitch and Sew; held over 6 weeks this course will include learning about a range of embroidery stitches, how to collage using textiles along with simple print techniques. Leading to either one or a series (everyone works in a different way) of small textile samples that can be displayed as it is or made into something else. Giving yourself time to sew and stitch can be a helpful way to find focus and relaxation.
The ever popular Art Journaling returns with another 8 week chance to learn more about how keeping an artist’s journal is also a great way to record thoughts and feelings. The journal is developed over the weeks, whilst you develop new creative skills and techniques. Held online, with arts materials sent to you in advance, Art Journaling is a wonderful opportunity to take time for yourself and connect with others.
Ready, Steady, Create returns online
This 7 week course is a gentle and supportive group, and is a great way to connect with new people, and develop creative ways of thinking to support your recovery and wellbeing.
Places on all our courses are limited, to register your interest please complete a sign up form. Places are awarded on a first come, first served basis.
We will be in touch to confirm your place, and provide you with starting information.
Please contact us if you have any questions.
cocreate.org.uk 