Artiephartie – grant recipient - Barnwood Trust

Artiephartie – grant recipient

Enabling successful transitions

Artiephartie is a Gloucestershire-based organisation that uses the arts to unlock potential.

It has a particular focus on people with mental health issues or a learning disability, and on those who find themselves isolated through personal circumstance.

Artiephartie saw that there were a number of adults with a learning disability who had successfully made the transition from care home to independent living but who had lost touch with their friends in the process. Moreover, that these people wanted to have somewhere to go on a Friday evening where they could get together, develop their dramatic skills and work on a show.

A pathway to integration

Thanks to a grant from Barnwood Trust, Artiephartie has been able to get the fledgling drama group onto a stable footing, to attract new members and to focus its attention on a new production of Alice in Wonderland.

As part of this process, group members have been discussing which artists to bring in – such as choreographers or musicians, and going to see work by other theatre companies based in Stroud.

When asked what difference the group had made to them, they said:

‘We have a giggle and fun. There are lots of different activities every week.’

‘I get to see my friends and I don't get to see them the rest of the time.’

By the end of the project, Artiephartie aims to have integrated group members into the already rich cultural life of Stroud so that they can continue to develop their talents with other members of their community.

To join the group or find out more about Artiephartie, visit www.artiephartie.org

Next entry: The Nelson Trust – grant recipient

Previous entry: GL11 – grant recipient