The 10 week art course - ‘Art in the Community’ held at the St Johns Centre in Bury St Edmunds has ended with a private view in the Apex. The exhbition will be up throughout April and May 2011. 

Eleven students took part in the course, exploring the themes of people and places through painting, drawing, pastels and printmaking.

Students produced pen and ink drawings of buildings in Bury St Edmunds, portrait paintings, and a series of large screens which will be used by the St Johns Centre.

Click here to see images from the exhibition

The work of the photography students who took part in the course with James Fletcher still have their pictures on display in the Debenhams Café in Bury St Edmunds. 

There will be a series of drama workshops running in Bury St Edmunds throughout June 2011, followed by two full day Explore Days in creative writing and poetry.  Details to be confirmed shortly.   

SUMMER 2011

In June and July JumpstART! in Bury will deliver five workshops and two explore days around the theme of the Olympic values.

In May and June JumpstART! in Lowestoft will deliver five two hour tater sessions in schools and colleges.

Details will be posted as soon as they emerge. Meanwhile to register an interest please e-mail charlie@suffolkartlink.org.uk

PREVIOUSLY

Young Adults with Learning Disabilities JumpstART!  into Digital Photography

The JumpstART! Bury St Edmunds

first module started in September 2010. It took place in Space 2, part of the Bury Art Gallery (which has recently changed its name to Smithsrow and Smithsrow 2)

Eleven students joined the first module.

Using digital photography, tutors James Fletcher and Albert Robb are led an exciting programme, covering still life,

portraits and studio lighting, landscapes, flora and fauna, street photography and reportage, abstract photography including formal elements of design and technical instruction including image composition.

Artlink ran a session in the Bury Theatre Royal, taking pictures in the new wardrobe department. A field trip to the ‘Beyond the Image’ Photographer’s Gallery to see the exhibition called ‘You may need a microscope to see this’ also happened. While there we visited the Thornham Victorian Walled Garden to take pictures with Albert Robb.

Students will be worked towards a qualification with the Open College Network in’Design Project’ and completed a portfolio of their work.

Students got the chance to show their exhibition in the Debenhams Cafe for the whole of December.

Click here to view the Jumpstart Digital Photography Course film

For people with learning disabilities interested in working in the creative sector.

For the last three years Open Doors has been Suffolk Artlink’s creative sector programme funded by Big Lottery for people with learning disabilities. This programme finishes in June 2010.

JumpstART! is a new course which has been developed as a result of our experiences with the Open Doors pilot.  The first course will start in September 2010.  Meanwhile there will be a period of further development as Artlink negotiates new partnerships and recruits new participants.

JumpstART! is a modular accredited arts course for people with learning disabilities which will provide students with opportunities for a more in depth exploration of a range of creative activities than was possible with Open Doors.

Each module will have a different art form focus and will be led by professional artists.  The modules will also include visits to other arts organisations.

Benefits to participants will be increased aspirations and self esteem, an end of module public event and the chance to play a fuller part in society.  JumpstART! will offer progression routes for participants in volunteering, work experience and further training.

Benefits for arts organisation will include increased awareness of learning disability issues, increased inclusion in the sector.

The Arts Council funded research in 2009 has focused on exploring the potential and identifying the appropriate location for the course within Suffolk in order to overcome barriers to access for prospective students.  We have also researched new cultural partners who could provide work opportunities for students on the course. 

* JumpstART! will be delivered in Bury St Edmunds

* A “job club” to support ex students will be established in Ipswich

* Artlink will develop capacity and partners in Lowestoft by investing in tasters and short courses over the next two to three years with a view to delivering the modular course in Lowestoft when the infrastructure is there to support it

Anyone wanting to register an interest in attending JumpstART! should contact enquiries@suffolkartlink or ring 01986 873955.