There are indeed miles to go for us this year. We continue our work in mental health, expand our work with Elders and with adults with learning disabilities, explore innovative digital projects and scope new commissions and projects.

With huge excitement we will re-launch our co|Create programme of support and training for artists and lead on exploring new ways of working in socially engaged arts practice. In addition, we are creating exciting partnerships with Universities, health organisations and other cultural institutions alike. We enter a new three year partnership with Arts Council England in April, placing us as the only NPO in the whole of Bath and North East Somerset. There is much to be done!

We welcome our first intern this month, Amy, who joins us as a graduate from UWE and we look forward to recruiting our first apprentice in the near future. As an organisation we are passionate about giving young people a start and support in finding employment in the cultural and creative industries and will be heavily involved in employment schemes in the future alongside the LEP and FE Colleges.

On a personal note, some cultural events this year I am very much looking forward to are:  ‘Human Rights Human Wrongs’ at The Photographers Gallery, ‘Crouch, Touch, Pause, Engage’ at the Sherman Theatre and on tour, ‘The Buried Giant’ by Kazuo Ishiguro which is published in March and, as part of the 100 anniversary celebrations of Arthur Miller’s birth, ‘Death of a Salesman’ at Stratford-upon-Avon. There is also, of course, the Rugby World Cup to be played in England in the summer and Rufus Norris takes the helm of the National Theatre. What a blockbuster year ahead!

As always, we would love to hear from you if you have ideas for collaboration, or you would like to volunteer to work with us.

Happy New Year!

(Director, Creativity Works)