Arts Lab

Main Grants award

The funding will be used to deliver an intergenerational project using the game of chess to bring young and older people together. The project aims to improve their social and observational skills as well as concentration logical thinking and planning.

Your Move

NET, Comic Relief and Children in Need will use this funding to provide: increased support to vulnerable people and hidden groups, thus reducing the burden on public services; reach local grassroots and small organisations who can provide an on-the-ground community response to the crisis; and, support local charitable organisations to mobilise volunteers to enable better targeted support in communities through empowered local groups.

ACE Loneliness Fund

as an additional grant to support staff, volunteer and trustee wellbeing, to assist the organisation deliver its charitable purpose more effectively

Grant to Independent Arts

To help you build on the work and impact from Space to Connect Explore funding, aimed at providing communities with a space to connect

Independent Arts STC Expand application

over two years towards the core costs of an organisation that uses the arts, and runs a social prescribing hub, to engage marginalised people on the Isle of Wight

Grant from The Fore's RAFT Immediate Response Fund to Independent Arts, as part of The Fore's COVID-19 Response programme.

RAFT COVID-19 response grant to Independent Arts

Development of an Income Diversification and Engagement Strategy

Strategy support

They will hold a series of creative and accessible community consultations with current and future stakeholders to provide a direction for their work on underused spaces.

STC Explore

towards three years' running costs of a project providing social singing groups for older people in the Isle of Wight

The organisation will use funding to deliver 'School Ties', an intergenerational project which seeks to tackle the origins of loneliness in very young children and the isolation and lack of engagement of older people. The project pairs schools with homes, engaging disadvantaged children from each school and isolated care home residents. The project aims to bring young and old together, enhancing social skills and confidence and helping to form relationships and lessen loneliness.

School Ties

SELFA’s five year vision is a greater voice and more independence for the young people we support.In consultation, they told us they don’t feel their needs are met by the adults who serve their local community. They want a say in the decisions that affect their lives. They want an opportunity to lead changeand give back.Decisions that are fully informed by young people’s own perspectives are more relevant, more effective and more sustainable. Agrant of £30,000 fromComic Relief will enable us to create a platform for young people to influence change and challenge the status quo, starting with takingthe driving seat within SELFA.Specifically, we will work alongside Leaders Unlocked, a s

Sustainability Fund 2

This two-year project enabled people experiencing depression and anxiety living on the Isle of Wight to meet together on a regular basis and participate in social and creative activities, including music, arts, dance, photography, mindfulness and counselling sessions. They were able to provide mutual support to each other and gain self-esteem and self-confidence. Participants took the lead in running the cafe and deciding everything about the programme, content and activities.

Anxiety Cafe

Changing Spaces is a culture-change project designed to improve the lives of older people in residential settings by providing a sustainable programme of creative activities to those in care. It takes an holistic approach engaging residents, staff and the wider community  to actively transform care homes into creative spaces making them places where individuals can learn, live and thrive

Changing Spaces - care homes as creative places

We need funding to keep our Creative Cafe running so older people can try new activities and make friends over a free cup of tea every week.

Independent Arts runs wellbeing services targeted at older people living in the Isle of Wight; on the Island 26.1% of the population are aged over 65 and rates of dementia are twice the national average. It has a base in Newport, but reaches isolated older people by operating outreach activities in community venues, hospitals and care-homes. Its core services include SingAbout (to aid dementia) and Singing for Breathing (to aid respiratory problems); these fun and engaging groups use NHS recognised techniques to increase health and wellbeing. Every month its range of activities reach 1,600 older people. The grant will cover the salary of the Chief Executive who plays a vital role in doing the organisation's fundraising and planning.

Build From Strength

towards two years' salary of the Chief Executive at a project providing support to vulnerable older people in residential care and in the community on the Isle of Wight

This new two-year project is based on a pilot scheme. Independent Arts will run a singing for Breathing project, to offer a social group activity for older people with long-term respiratory conditions who will come from different areas on the Isle of Wight. Participants will benefit from the opportunity to meet other local people and form stronger links and ties.

Arts Lab

Independent Arts

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