News & Events
It's always a good idea to plant colourful flowers to attract the bees and support pollination. On a creative level, the bold black and yellow stripes on bees are visually inspiring. This month I've enjoyed making honey bee sculptures with my Workshop groups - It's inspired a buzz of creativity. To get involved, look out for National Honey Bee Day and the British Beekeepers Association.
Honey bee sculptures
Luxury car manufacturer Bentley and artist Sir Peter Blake have created an eye-catching car to be auctioned for hospice charity Care2Save.
When local hospice St Luke's, with which Bentley Motors has a long-established connection, launched a new trust to tackle the need for palliative care globally, Bentley Motors decided to help by doing what it does best - building cars.
Working with artist Sir Peter Blake, the godfather of British Pop Art, Bentley colleagues have produced an extremely eyecatching example of the company's Continental GT model. The highly customised car will be auctioned by Bonhams at the Goodwood Festival of Speed on June 24.
The proceeds will go to the Care2Save Charitable Trust, set up by St Luke's to raise awareness and funding for end of life care in parts of the world where it is often neglected and underfunded, as well as in the UK.
Since St Luke's opened just up the road from the firm's Crewe headquarters, Bentley employees have volunteered countless hours of their time to raise money and give hands-on help with renovations and gardening. Over the years, St Luke's has helped the families of several Bentley colleagues when they have been ill. When the hospice revealed their concerns about palliative care globally, Bentley saw this as a way to engage its staff and the wider world with a cause that resonates very strongly with the people at its Crewe HQ.
Sally Hepton, Director of CSR at Bentley Motors said: "Sir Peter Blake’s Bentley is a Bentley with a heart (quite literally, Sir Peter’s iconic heart motif is the standout feature of the car), for us it’s been the natural progression of a relationship between two organisations at the heart of the community. We hope this car will help Care2Save change lives in communities worldwide in the same way our colleagues’ fundraising and volunteering make such a difference locally."
Queen Elizabeth II is ninety years old today! Communities across the country have been celebrating with parties. I enjoyed working with Tall Trees Care Home to create a series of portraits of the queen to mark this special occasion. The elderly care home residents (some of whom were ninety themselves) enjoyed their creative art experience and toasted her majesty with a cup of tea!
Artwork to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II's 90th Birthday
'Fierce Compassion' is the theme for this year's Skoll World Forum in Oxford.
My latest ships' figurehead carving is a portrait of Charlotte Mason, founder of the PNEU Schools. She is going on tour throughout March and April and will be exhibited in Moreton-in-Marsh at the Warners Budgens store, Oaktree Mews Care Home and the North Cotswolds Hospital.
Tour Launch at Warners Budgens
I have a great passion for wood carving and was delighted to come across a magnificent totem pole carving in an Oxford museum. It made me think about collecting things. I try not to collect too much stuff. In fact, I'm often clearing things out of my home. But there's a difference between clutter and collections and the later can be very educational. The Pitt Rivers Museum in Oxford holds a magnificent collection of Native American wood carvings and is well worth a visit - It might inspire you to collect carvings too.
2016 is off to an exciting start! I'm launching a series of taster videos - '30 Days and 30 Ways to Set Free Your Creativity!' There's a collection of two minute tips on how to bring even more creativity into your life for enhanced health, wealth and happiness. Watch this space for the first taster!
Abbie Cooke's video tasters coming soon!
I was fortunate to be asked to appear in a news story for That's Oxford TV this week. It was a wonderful opportunity to talk about good causes associates with Creativity and to promote our Gig-Arts charity which is based at the ICE Centre in Carterton. It was also a great privilege to involve our associates; Charlotte Taylor, a Gig-Arts student from Burford School and a whole host of inspiring special needs artists from Carterton. It was an excellent team effort. Watch this space for a link to the TV news story.
Gig-Arts Artsists at the ICE Centre in Carterton
Despite the storm outside, our spirits were high as we celebrated our Special Gig-Arts Event in Carterton on Monday 30th November 2015. The ICE Centre venue played host to our event which welcomed more than twenty young people with severe learning difficulties and physical and mental health problems - Some from local supported housing and others from a special needs group at Abingdon and Witney College.
It was an exciting day of inclusive art music and drama which culminated in an improvised stage show performance. All the participants gained awareness of their passion for art and music, and for many it was a first time experience to take part in a show. The participants cheered, "This is brilliant!"
Gig-Arts was delighted to receive support from A-Plan Insurance who are based in Carterton. Representatives from A-Plan were keen to meet the Gig-Arts participants and join in with the event. The company will also be displaying the colourful 'Happy Tree' artworks which were made from recycled materials during the Gig-Arts Event. A-Plan will also be joining Gig-Arts again on Monday 14th December from 1.30pm to 2.30pm at a Gig-Arts Giving afternoon at the ICE Centre in Carterton. Opportunities to use the Arts to unite business communities and special needs groups are an excellent way to build an inclusive community and an appreciation that we all have creative talents to share.
Today is Social Enterprise Day, as part of Global Entrepreneurship Week, it is a day to celebrate Social Enterprises and the inspiring entrepreneurs behind them. As the co-founder of a pioneering charity called Gig-Arts, I'm excited that there is only one week to go until the 2015 Gig-Arts Awards. We look forward to continuing this celebration of creative social entrepreneurship and recognising the outstanding achievements of our shortlist this year.
Today also marks the countdown to the 30th November 2015 Special Gig-Arts Event in Carterton, Oxfordshire, highlighting the passion of our commitment to working with creative young people with special needs. We remember that small changes make a big difference, especially at this time of year, and we're excited about the impact and outreach that our activities will have across Oxfordshire.
This month I have also been planning a series of new video blogs which will be launched on You Tube in December. There's much to look forward to!
It's been an exciting past two months. The Charlotte Mason ships' figurehead has been carved, painted and gilded for Dormer House School in Moreton-in-Marsh. There was a glittering unveiling ceremony and much celebration for the school's 140th anniversary.
Gig-Arts, has teamed up with the Oxfordshire Business Enterprise Alliance (OBEA) and will be putting on a Creative Enterprise event at the Marlborough School Enterprise Centre on Tuesday 13th October 2015 between 9.30am and 2.30pm.
There will be more than 40 children aged 13 to 14, all of whom are looking for a career in the visual and performing Arts, who will be coming from four schools – The Marlborough School in Woodstock, the Wheatley Park School in Oxford, Gosford Hill School in Kidlington and the Lord Williams's School in Thame.
Tuesday 22 September – Saturday 10 October
Tuesday 22nd September – 10am to 2pm
Tap into your talents, reflect on your achievements past and present and gain top tips on how to implement opportunities ahead.
Tuesday 29th September - 10am to 2pm
ear the stories of creative heroes and reflect on your own life story as you gain the tools to draw creativity into your personal and professional life.
Tuesday 6th October – 10am to 2pm
This interactive event with music and screen graphics will ignite your ideas and show you how to promote them.
Saturday 10th October - 10am to 4pm
onnect with your creativity, gain clarity of vision and make a plan to turn your ideas into reality.
CHIPPING NORTON THEATRE
The Theatre, 2 Spring Street, Chipping Norton. OX7 5NL
BOX OFFICE: 01608 642350
Monday to Friday 10am - 6pm, Sat 10am - 2pm
Tickets for all four events £120
Creativity teamed up with business at the Lir Academy, Dublin. Royal Sun Alliance & Gig-Arts
“Creativity is the process of bringing something new into being. Creativity requires passion and commitment. It brings to our awareness what was previously hidden and points to new life,” says Rollo May in his book The Courage to Create.
I ask, is this possible in business? I believe so, but you have to be willing to take risks and progress through discomfort to get to the finish line.
On Friday 19th June it was National Care Home Day. Connecting with the older generation is a great way to take a new perspective, develop new ways of creative thinking and connect with the community.
National Care Home Day website
If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always had. So, this week I’m trying something new. I’m taking part in the Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research Blenheim Palace Triathlon. Swim, cycle, run … and then relax!
So often we get caught up in the round and round carousel of life – and sometimes there comes a need to jump off. If you want to spread your wings and find new meaning in your life, you’ve come to the right place.
