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This page – Barter: Concept illustration of
Dalkeith Barter poster campaign
We are Artlink,
an organisation that puts artists
in partnership with people with
learning disabilities.
We’ve been creating some
imaginative projects in
Midlothian. Small businesses
and individuals have given
their time, their skills and their
creative spirit to this venture.
And what they receive in return
is priceless...
Left – Barter: George wearing the T shirt made from his paintings Below – Barter: Detail of George’s T-shirt made by Emily Millichip
In Rosslynlee, a vintage car
company received a beautiful
hand painted sign to advertise
their business. In exchange,
they took the people who made
the sign out for a series of jaunts
through the countryside in a
vintage Rolls Royce.
In Humbie, East Lothian,
members of our art workshops
created patisserie-themed
fascinators for a high-class
cookery school, adding a
creative edge to their service,
something they couldn’t have
got anywhere else. As a thank
you, the catering company
organised some exciting
cookery classes for our group. Above – Barter:House sign for vintage car owner
Right – Barter: Hat created by Lorna Kulik and Maggie Mowbray
Everything we do is based on
a belief in each individual’s
potential, and in the power of
creativity to change lives.
Our Barter Project has met with
huge enthusiasm from the local
community. The businesses
have received beautiful
artworks and the individuals
with learning disabilities have
received experiences that have
broadened their horizons.
Everyone gets something
uplifting and valuable from it.
In recent projects, our groups
have worked with traditional
musicians, a magician, an
organic farm, a residential home
and a homing pigeon club.
Above – Barter: Toy jigsaw for Whitmuir Organics,
drawings by Nicholas Trayner, design by James McLardy
The organisations involved
have found out how good it
feels to give something back,
to feel connected to their
community.
The individuals with learning
disabilities have had the chance
to contribute something
creative and worthwhile,
to learn new skills, to be
appreciated as active citizens
rather than passive recipients of
care. And that’s just one of our
projects.
Above right – Barter: Edie wears dog costume by David Adams and Emily Martin
Here are some other initiatives
we have going on in your area:
Many people find it difficult
to decide what to do when
they leave school – what
to learn, what path to take.
Even in later life, that can
still be the case. And it’s no
different for someone with a
learning disability. Our Making
programme in Mayfield offers
a menu of short projects,
imaginatively designed to
provide the participant with an
introduction to different creative
making skills. We give them the
chance to try something new,
and to carry on with it if they
are interested.
As cuts to public services bite
hard, it becomes increasingly
important to ensure that
local people with learning
disabilities can continue to
access activity that offers
them new experiences and
new skills, and the chance
to develop their personal
interests. We aim to offer real
engagement that connects
to a wider community so that
lives do not become dull and
restricted.Left – Barter: posters by Leanne Ross
Below – Making Programme: Nicholas Trayner
making laser cut portraits
Through our Socialites
initiative, we give young
people experiences that they
would otherwise have no
access to. Take Brendan, for
example, a young person with
excellent athletic skills but no
social network. He was given
taster sessions of various
challenging sports. When he
visited Waterski Scotland, the
organisation was so impressed
with his natural ability, they
took him on for a year’s work
experience and training.
They say he could compete
professionally one day. His
father says “This might seem
a small thing, but it’s huge
in his life. It has stopped the
family from breaking apart, as
finally he has something he
is good at, something he is
recognised for.”
Below – Sensory workshops: Laura Spring and Amy Kennedy
This applies just as much
to people with profound
learning disabilities. One of
our artists has been working
for an extended period of time
in Bonnyrigg with Natalie, a
young woman with sensory,
physical and learning disabilities.
Working closely with Natalie,
trying out different sensory
activities, consulting with
Natalie’s mother and her
care workers, taking expert
advice from psychologists and
vision specialists resulted in
the making of an interactive
planetarium filled with
sounds and images of nature.
When Natalie’s mother saw
her daughter react to the
finished artwork for the first
time, actively engaging and
interacting with the projected
images and sounds around
her, she was lost for words.
They were both experiencing
something new. Natalie was
having some control over her
surroundings, while her mother
realised that Natalie could learn
new skills through these new
experiences.
Below – Ideas team: Steve Hollingsworth and Natalie Thompson
We also work with the care
workers involved with people
with learning disabilities. It is a
demanding role, and people
can often be stressed, over-
worked and in need of new
ways of thinking. Artlink have
provided a series of classes for
staff at daycare centres – from
slapstick clowning to relaxation
exercises, and talks on coping
with negative behaviours.
We lift spirits and encourage
new ideas and stronger
working bonds. It benefits the
workers and in turn, it benefits
people with learning disabilities
and their families.
Right –Sensory workshops: Kevin McPhee with functional artworks for Richard Fortune
Right top – Ideas Team: Wendy Jacob working with carers on collected sounds.
Right bottom –Ideas Team:
Wendy’s sound balloon prototype
This page – Ideas Team: Kelly Dobson’s early designs for time pods
New technology offers
some very exciting ways to
interact with people who have
difficulty with usual forms of
communication.
We are working with artists
and scientists linked to MIT
Boston and other universities
to bring cutting edge
developments into our work
– machines that slow down
perception, that communicate
through vibration, that help
us to experience the world
in fresh ways or provide new
ways to interact with it. The
potential is enormous, and we
are dedicated to improving lives
through exploring these sorts of
innovations.
The idea of community is that
we hold each other up, that by
creatively supporting others,
we are also sustained and
energized. By seeing the world
through another set of eyes
and opening ourselves to the
experiences of people different
from ourselves, we get to live
more fully.
This page –Sensory workshops:performance propsdesigned by Kat Murray
Artlink has been working in
the area of arts and access in
Midlothian for 25 years. These
are just some samples of our
activities in your area, to find
out more about our work, in
Midlothian and elsewhere, go to
www.artlinkedinburgh.co.uk
If your organisation would like
to become involved in our
Barter project, please contact
Kara Christine
kara@artlinkedinburgh.co.uk
0131 229 3555
Artlink, 13a Spittal Street,
Edinburgh, EH3 9DY
Artlink would like to thank:
The Action Group, Barnardos,
Our community Barter partners,
Laura Aldridge, Onya Attridge,
Claire Barclay, Annabel Barnett,
Mina Braun, Maike Browning,
Kirstyn Cameron, Jim Colquhoun,
John Connell, Gemma Cruells,
Liz Davidson, Kelly Dobson,
Chauffeur Drive, Malcy Duff, Susan Dunn,
The Dunn Family, Gordon Dutton,
All our Friday Fest Musicians, Jo Foley,
Places for People support staff,
Rachael Forbes, Brenda and Richard
Fortune, Lauren Fox, Rosemary Frew,
Agnes Goodsir, Alexa Hare,
Lauren Hayes, Steve Hollingsworth,
Dawn Horley, Vivien Horn, David and
Jean Hunter, Allan Irvine, Wendy Jacob,
Gail Keating, Anna Krzeczkowska,
Kingsley Liversage, Emily Martin,
Scott McCallum, Ben McGill and family,
Duncan McIntyre, Jacqueline McKinna,
James McLardy, Kevin McPhee,
Loraine McPherson, Emily Millichip,
Maggie Mowbray, Helen Moyes,
Kat Murray, Francesca Nobillucci,
Katie Orton, Jon Owen,
Marcin Pietruszewski, Charlotte Prodger,
The 200 people who take part in our
workshops, Tommy Perman,
Priscilla Pratt, Fran Priest, Jackie Quinn,
Edward Reid, Richmond Fellowship
Scotland staff, Lynda Rowan, Saltersgate
School, Epilepsy Scotland, John Skouse,
Kjersti Sletteland, Gayle Smith,
Jenny Smith, Laura Spring,
ELCAP staff and management,
Joan Seaton, St Joseph’s Services staff,
Neil Stewart and CAT team staff,
Dawn Stoddart, Mary Sturrock,
Nicola Sturrock, Brenda Thompson,
Nathalie Thomspon, Tim Vincent-Smith,
Audrey Watson, Miriam Walsh, Caro Weiss,
Dr Robert Walley and the CLDT team,
Nicola White, Ruth Whittles, June Wilson,
Mark Wilson, Sonja Witts.
Front cover – Sensory workshops: Laura Aldridge and Donna Hunt
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