COMMUNITY ARTS

RESEARCH PROJECT

The community arts research project is all about communities having time and space to develop genuine relationships with artists in order to co-create amazing artwork. This opportunity will work with local people to deliver projects that are driven, developed and decided by them throughout the entire process. See more about the co-creation process below.

Initially we did a call out for community / voluntary groups across Sunderland who wanted to be part of this project. Through a community decision making panel 5 projects were successful. These projects are Stockton Road United Reformed Church, WWIN (Specialist Domestic Abuse Service), ICOS, a partnership project with The Old Rectory, Space 4 and Houghton-Le-Spring Residents CIC and Sunderland Headlight. Through this opportunity each organisation will explore a research question specific to them and their local community.

Following on from our recent call outs we are working with the groups to recruit the artists, creatives or art organisations who will work with the communities to explore these research questions.

Please watch this space for further updates about these projects.

What do we mean by co-creation? 

  • A process whereby artists/creative practitioners actively engage, listen to and collaborate with people from communities to create an artwork, project or activity together (including devising, planning negotiating, disseminating, evaluating).

  • Co-creation is about bringing diverse groups of people with different experiences, skills and knowledge together, united around a common aim/issue/challenge, to work in collective and non-hierarchical ways.

  • Co-creation is any artistic process in which creative responsibility, authority and agency are shared.

  • Co-creation is working together for the same purpose, aims and outputs ensuring that a project can achieve a strong legacy and have a positive impact on people’s lives.