Impact Arts

The Creative Pathways programme in Irvine has
been progressing nicely as the group continue to engage in a range of exciting
activities, progress with their Employability Qualification and welcomed new
participants to the project.

Week three began with upcycling chairs in the
group’s own unique style. A
lot of work went in to preparing the wood, researching designs and decorating
the furniture. It was worth all the effort as the chairs look excellent and will now be donated to a nearby charity shop to raise money for local
causes.

The group’s numbers grew as they welcomed four new people
to the group – their
enthusiasm, personality and work ethic has meant they have integrated well with
the group and have been able to engage with the variety of work.

The week
began with a screenprinting workshop based on the work of Charles Rennie
Mackintosh. Tutor Allan Whyte, gave a presentation on Mackintosh and the group
then researched the Scottish artist and architect before coming up with their
own designs for bags. The results were fantastic and showed each individual’s ability to understand the concepts of
design and put their own spin on classic contemporary design.

Practical abilities were at the fore as the group researched and designed their own bird boxes. Tutor, Portia Velarde,
led the group as they worked out their own plans, measured and cut their
materials before assembling the boxes. This meant having to design the correct
sized boxes for the species the group expected to find in Irvine. The group are hoping to
catch the tail-end (pun intended) of the breeding season and have some Impact
Arts chicks hatching at Bank Street in the coming weeks!

In addition to all this fantastic creative stuff, our employability guru Maggie has been visiting Irvine to help the young people
prepare for life after Impact Arts. They have been progressing well with their paperwork and beginning to have a
clearer idea of what they would like to do next.

The coming weeks are going to be very busy with
a trip to Glasgow for a Mackintosh tour at the Glasgow School of Art, a visit
to the Lighthouse and a meeting at Glasgow Wood Recycling. We’ve also got loads of other activities to
get through before our showcase at the end of project – watch this space!

The programme is funded by Our Bright Future, the Big Lottery Fund, Skills Development Scotland and Inspiring Scotland.