As part of our Impact Arts Annual Report 2024-25, we interviewed some members of our creative delivery team to bring you this new series: Artist Spotlight!

Meet Marta Palacz

Get to know Marta Palacz, Creative Lead at Impact Arts and multimedia artist with a passion for working with communities. Marta’s days are filled with everything from painting and printmaking to leading creative sessions.

We caught up with her to chat about her artistic practice, favourite projects, and the positive changes she sees in the people she works with.

Please note this interview was conducted in summer 2025.

Tell us about yourself. What are your specialisms as an artist and what type of projects do you work on at Impact Arts?

“I am currently the Creative Lead for the Cashback Hubs project in North Ayrshire, working with young people. In my personal practice, I am a multimedia artist working with a range of mediums on paintings, printmaking, drawing, and interactive conceptual works.

I am mainly focused on developing a series of portrait paintings with themes centered around mindfulness, attachment, and play in a studio space provided by OuterSpaces, a charity collaborating with artists to occupy empty commercial spaces.

I always keep a sketchbook on hand and try to document people and places around me.

I also lead interactive audio-visual sensory sessions with groups of children and adults with additional support needs with the charity Soundplay Projects.”

What was your favourite project that you worked on during the year 24-25 – and why?

“Currently, I am really enjoying the CashBack Summer programme. I enjoy seeing creative responses to the participants’ environment, local heritage, and community. My favourite project I worked on in the year 2024-2025 was assisting with Art Therapy sessions.

Art Therapy offers a safe relaxed space where children can address difficult emotions and express themselves through creativity and play.

I enjoyed seeing participants process big life changes and challenges – with creativity. I learned a lot and it was very inspiring.”

What kinds of positive changes have you seen in participants on your projects?

“An increase in confidence and self-belief as participants make and create things they haven’t had a chance to make in the past and seeing people in the community make bonds they nourish and continue after projects end is very heartwarming and important.”

Hear directly from more of our multi-talented artists in the next instalment of Artist Spotlight.

Impact Arts is a community arts charity based in Scotland. Since 1994, we’ve been delivering creative arts and support programmes for children, young people, adults, families, and older people who are facing disadvantages or barriers to progress in life. Our mission is to tackle inequalities, address poverty, and transform lives through art and creativity.  

We’re delighted to share that The Boardwalk, Impact Arts’ social enterprise events venue, has been named Glasgow’s High Street Hero in the Scotland Loves Local Awards 2025!

Award judges heard how our Merchant City venue was enhancing the area and opening opportunities “by combining economic innovation, social enterprise and environmental responsibility.”

As we said in our nomination, “The Boardwalk is a powerful example of how creative spaces can drive inclusive regeneration and build a more enterprising, resilient community.”

The venue, on Brunswick Street, features a 180-capacity black box theatre, a variety of meeting rooms and rehearsal spaces for hire which include seven studios.

We play host to events ranging from performances and dance rehearsals to company team days and conferences, all with the aim of attracting people and helping to breathe new life into the area.

Impact Arts took over the building from Scottish Youth Theatre in 2023 and all proceeds from bookings go back into our creative programmes with people of all ages in some of Scotland’s most deprived communities.

Reacting to the High Street Hero award, Impact Arts Chief Executive Fiona Doring said:

“We are absolutely thrilled that The Boardwalk has been recognised as Glasgow’s High Street Hero. This recognition means a lot to everyone at Impact Arts. The Boardwalk has become a real home for creativity, a place where people come together to make, perform, learn, and share ideas. From hosting diverse performances, wide ranging meetings, workshops, and conferences to supporting young people into employment, The Boardwalk shows how creativity helps to build vibrant city centres.”

By offering affordable venue hire to artists, charities, and community groups, then reinvesting the profits, The Boardwalk directly contributes to the local economy while addressing social inequality.

Long-term tenants include disability arts organisations such as Solar Bear and Birds of Paradise.
Some of Impact Arts’ Glasgow programmes, run at The Boardwalk, include helping young people disengaged from school or out of work to gain qualifications, work experience, and support toward positive destinations through its creative arts and youth employability projects.

The Boardwalk also has a Step Up to Net Zero Action plan which includes working towards the elimination of single-use plastics.

Organised by Scotland’s Towns Partnership (STP), the Scotland Loves Local Awards recognise and reward all that’s great about the nation’s towns and neighbourhoods and the work to ensure they become stronger and more sustainable.

STP Chief Officer Kimberley Guthrie said:

“Creativity and entrepreneurship so often work hand-in-hand when it comes to breathing fresh life into our communities. The Boardwalk is a great example of that. Impact Arts are keeping a fantastic venue alive while opening life-changing opportunities to people in communities who need them most. It’s innovative, community-focussed regeneration.”

Spearheaded by STP and supported by the Scottish Government, Scotland Loves Local is the movement encouraging people to create a better future for their community by choosing local.

Visit The Boardwalk website to learn more

Impact Arts is a community arts charity based in Scotland. Since 1994, we’ve been delivering creative arts and support programmes for children, young people, adults, families, and older people who are facing disadvantages or barriers to progress in life. Our mission is to tackle inequalities, address poverty, and transform lives through art and creativity.  

As part of our Impact Arts Annual Report 2024-25, we interviewed some members of our creative delivery team to bring you this new series: Artist Spotlight!

Meet Sean Pickering

Hear from one of our artists Sean on drag and cabaret, creative sewing, and the transformative power of art. From murder mysteries to community impact, Sean Pickering shares how performance and visual arts spark confidence and creativity across generations at Impact Arts.

Tell us about yourself. What are your specialisms as an artist and what type of projects do you work on at Impact Arts?

    “After my university degree in theatre studies, I took a side-step into the world of drag and cabaret. I teach a wide range of performance and visual art skills, but I’m definitely a fan of a good sewing project!

    Whether it’s curtains or costumes, seeing the satisfaction on our participants’ faces when they’ve mastered the sewing machine and created something robust with their own two hands is priceless.

    I’ve worked with a wide age range of people at Impact Arts, from adults and parents to teenagers and children.”

    What was your favourite project that you worked on during the year 24-25 – and why?

    “It would be too difficult to pick a favourite but I did love working with our young people from Impactful Starts on their Murder Mystery project.

    We used a variety of painting techniques, creative writing, and sewing skills, and we created miniature universes and characters that branched off in many different directions.”

    What kinds of positive changes have you seen in participants on your projects?

    “Being able to take a participant from the start of a project through to the end and seeing the change in their confidence and mood is incredible! It’s my favourite part of working here.

    One participant I worked with on Make It Your Own spoke about how learning to paint had given her life a purpose, stopped her feeling like the walls were closing in on her, and helped her become more active and social within the community.

    Sometimes you think you’re improving someone’s day maybe 10% or 15% but the reality often ends up being much more profound and impactful.”

    Hear directly from more of our multi-talented artists in the next instalment of Artist Spotlight.

    Impact Arts is a community arts charity based in Scotland. Since 1994, we’ve been delivering creative arts and support programmes for children, young people, adults, families, and older people who are facing disadvantages or barriers to progress in life. Our mission is to tackle inequalities, address poverty, and transform lives through art and creativity.