Celf-Able - peer support in a creative environment in North Powys

Andrew Logan (Celf-Able's patron) donated this artwork for the Secret Art Sales

Two and a half years ago we introduced our readers to a new group by and for disabled artists in Powys called Celf-Able. This week's guest author Amanda Wells - one of the founder members of the group - gives us an update on Celf-Able's recent and planned activities, and ongoing development.

Hello, I’m Amanda, voluntary co-ordinator for Celf-Able, a disabled-led inclusive art group in Montgomeryshire. We have been having a busy time at our meetings in Machynlleth, Caersws, Llanfair Caereinion, Welshpool and Newtown. We meet once a month in each venue and get together to do art in a social and peer-supportive atmosphere. We provide materials and people can have a go at different types of art, and when funding allows we invite artists to do workshops with us on different art materials and techniques. We have done pottery, mosaics, linoprinting, portrait painting, abstract painting and a host of other activities.

We believe in the role of art in wellbeing and social inclusion. Members benefit from exploring their creativity and doing art in a relaxed and supportive atmosphere. We share skills and help each other achieve our artistic aims. We hold regular exhibitions at Newtown library and Centre Celf in Llandrindod Wells. We are disabled-led but we are open to all.

We have recently changed our logo to a dragon who’s a wheelchair user, this has sparked us into doing a series of dragon paintings. These will be on display and for sale at our fundraising event on July 20th at Oriel Davies, Newtown. There will also be a ‘secret art sale’ of decorated postcards in sealed envelopes. The postcards have been decorated by Celf-Able members and also artists Andrew Logan, Mary Lloyd-Jones, Linda Jane James, David Bannister and Steffan Jones-Hughes. We also have a ‘Lucky Squares’ raffle for original artworks and limited edition reproductions by Brian Jones, Linda Jane James, Steffan Jones-Hughes and others. We are very lucky that Andrew Logan recently agreed to be our first patron.

Artist Linda Jane James has made a temporary dragon mascot for us and s/he needs a name, so we have a ‘name the dragon’ raffle too. We hope to get funding to make a permanent mascot soon.

We have been hand-decorating mugs to sell to raise funds, members have decorated them with lots of different designs. This was my idea, I donated some plain white mugs to the group and we have been using Posca paint pens to decorate them. When baked in the oven the paint becomes permanent (although not dishwasher-proof). Members have enjoyed decorating the mugs with their designs.

Recently we had a stall at Llanfair Carnival, we sold donated items and brought the dragon mascot for its first outing, we also had original art for sale. With grants ever harder to get we have been increasing our activity to raise our own funds.

I was one of the founding members of Celf-Able back in 2014, we developed out of a group on Celf o Gwmpas’s Artist Training and Mentoring scheme. We wanted to carry on meeting when that project ended so we set up on our own. Celf-Able has grown a lot since then and we have had many activities as well as our regular meetings. We had a trip on Welshpool canal and also a horse-drawn canal boat trip in Llangollen. We hope to get funding to go on some day trips to galleries in Aberystywth, Machynlleth, Birmingham and Walsall, we will then produce artwork inspired by the trips.

I fell into the role of voluntary co-ordinator and have had to learn how to make grant applications and do various admin and co-ordinating tasks. This has been very demanding at times but I have gained a lot of project management skills. I would quite like to study a course on project management to get a qualification. I have also grown in confidence, personally and as an artist, so although it can be hard work and stressful at times I still get a lot out of Celf-Able, and have made lots of new valued friends. I enjoy the meetings as it’s a time I set aside to do art, mixing with like-minded people. I have been encouraged to study for the MA Fine Art at Wolverhampton, this is nearing completion now, I would never have had the confidence to do this without Celf-Able. I’m even looking into going on to do a PhD, on disability arts and society.

I really enjoy seeing other people grow in confidence too. Sometimes people are very apprehensive when they first come to the group but after a few sessions they start to relax and enjoy their creativity. It’s also good for Celf-Able to connect with other organisations. We attend a variety of networking events locally and further afield, such as Aberystwyth and Chester. We are going to be a case study group for ArtWorks Cymru’s Quality Principles, this work starts in July.

We are holding two ‘Beth Am Gael Tro/Have A Go’ workshops at Llanfair Caereinion Institute, Upcycling on July 27th and Creative Writing on August 17th, these will be led by members who have gained the confidence to run workshops through the group. So a busy time ahead, but we do it for the love of art!

Many thanks to Amanda for the latest news on this thriving disability-led arts group. 

Celf-Able now has a Powys Lotto page - you can support local causes and have a chance of winning prizes with the local lottery. You can find out more about the organisation by phoning 01938 810058 or emailing: admin@celf-able.org

Celf o Gwmpas – Reaching Out, Drawing In

Maud & Pauline beneath a display of their artwork

Last week I attended the opening of this truly inspiring exhibition at Centre Celf in Llandrindod Wells. We originally wrote about one of the art organisation’s workshops for people living with dementia in Looking at me – an arts and dementia initiative - in 2017 in the early days of the project. 

This exhibition – "Reaching Out, Drawing In" - is the result of all the many workshops that have taken place over the past two years, for people living with dementia and learning disabled adults. 

Anne Evans is the chair of Celf o Gwmpas, and she told us more about the show:

In 2017 Celf o Gwmpas received funding from the Arwain LEADER programme for an ambitious project piloting new ways of delivering arts workshops to adults with a learning disability and people living with dementia and their carers.

We partnered this with funding from the Arts Council of Wales to run four residencies for artists with disabilities; two engagement residencies bringing to Powys highly regarded artists such as Helen Ivory and Ira Lightman, and a ground-breaking digital residency linking, in real time, with Canadian learning-disabled artist Scott Berry and participants with learning disabilities here.

We have run 174 workshop sessions, with an average attendance of 7 per workshop, and provided around 1218 places with this funding. It’s phenomenal really. Participants have experienced a huge range of art forms, developed skills in making and have taken up opportunities to explore aspects of their own lives through art. 

Artist Jane Mason worked with learning disabled adults in Tile Tales

The creativity really is amazing. We’ve had print making, puppet-making, film and animation, tile making, mosaics, watercolour painting, sewing and quilting, linocuts, multi-media personal mapping, poetry, instrument making and creative bird box construction. 

The Tile Tales ceramics workshops followed the story of tile making and explored ancient and modern decorative techniques to create two dimensional and relief designs out of clay.

In Dreamlands and Landscapes learning disabled adults worked with Vagabondi Puppets to explore their fears and dreams with puppeteer and sculptress Jo Munton using different techniques and materials.

Ruth Hogg, Project Coordinator, playing drums made from recycled materials

Some of the women in this wonderful project looked at what they were wearing when they were 25 years old in Fashion Memories: When we were 25. Artists Jane Titley and Annie Levy worked with people living with dementia to create quilted pieces using patterns and costumes which I remember from my childhood. The quality and creativity is excellent.

People may be living with dementia or as a learning-disabled adult, but that does not stop them from being artistic, creative and having skills that really should be shown which tells us about who they are. 

In the mosaic workshops participants worked with artist Terri Sweeney

Celf o Gwmpas is at the forefront of arts and health work in Powys, based on a 21 year history of working with socially excluded people and mentoring artists living with physical and learning disabilities, mental health difficulties and other ‘outsider’ experiences. 

We do a lot of work on very small amounts of money, and there are very few staff. This year we are starting up a membership scheme, so you can pay a small amount of money per month to support the work Celf o Gwmpas does such as offering arts activities like these.

You can continue to enjoy the exhibition until 4 April 2019 but gallery opening times are variable so please ring for details on 01597 822777 or email: centrecelf@celfogwmpas.org