Me, Us, Community A celebration of creativity, conversation and growing older Staffordshire University St Quentin Residential and Nursing Home Cambrian Care Hotel Creative Health Stafford shire Association of Care Providers

Me, Us, Community ! is an EU funded Residency project led by Staffordshire University which enabled artists and care homes to work together to create an exhibition about growing old. It was delivered in partnership with Creative Health and SCARCP. “When you get older, you know what makes you happy”

Spanish Artist Almudena Caso and local Community Artist Cathie Powell-Davies became Artists in Residence at St Quentin Residential and Nursing Home and The Cambrian Care Hotel for 6 weeks supported by Creative Health.

The Artists led workshops using photography, craft and music to develop conversations about the residents lives.

Over 8 week period as the Artists built relationships with residents people shared life stories, hopes and dreams.

Diverse creative activities allowed participants to develop confidence.

The Artists also worked with community groups including Choices Art Group and Longton Women’s Support Services to start conversations. The groups were invited to create mail art via postcards with messages and questions. This opened up lines of communication between residents and outside communities.

An exhibition combining photographs, text and recorded conversations at the Unicube Gallery at Staffordshire University opened to the public for a week to celebrate the end of the Residency.

The aim of the exhibition was to challenge perceptions of what it is to grow older and profile some of the thought provoking work generated during the project.

A number of the residents attended the exhibition launch. There was also an exhibition sharing at the care home to celebrate the end of the project.

Living Room Artist Residencies Turning the Everyday into the Extraordinary New Professional Artist Residency Programme for Care Homes The Staffordshire Association of Registered Care Providers initiative in partnership with Creative Health CIC and Staffordshire County Council. An exciting new initiative which will enable Care Homes to commission professional artists to produce new contemporary artworks during 6 month residencies at their care settings. The original artworks that are produced will form exciting new displays which engage and enrich the living spaces and environments of participating care homes.