Community Peg Project

The process of ones happiness can only be enriched by reaching out, being brave and

sharing with others.Rita Freeman

Reflection• My first project looked into different uses of peg.• I explored the history of pegs.• Dismantled, reversed and glued the pegs back together to make a more user friendly

shape.• Pegs were decorated byMyself in pairs in case I lostany. I then gave other peoplePegs to decorate and was Pleased with the diversity ofPeg art that was being returned.Because of the interest shown in my pegs I decided to look into Working with community groups to expand my peg project as my idea of using the pegs as a simple pairs game seemed inadequate for these beautifully decorated pegs.

Personal project plan phase 2• Weeks 1 to three• contact local community groups to set up peg art sessions.• Get more art resources and more pegs.• Work with community groups doing peg art.• Weeks four to five• Design a table• Arrange and complete woodwork induction.• Make Peggy characters over Christmas• Source items needed for making table.• Weeks six plus• Book woodwork room and make the table• Look into finding another community art project to become involved in• Enquire around to place table for use.

Community Project This posed me with a few questions. Who to do this project with? Why choose the groups ? What to use the pegs for? How do I achieve this?.• Coming from a care centred educational background I appreciate very much the therapeutic

value of art, because of this I decided to work with groups of people within our community that are often cared for by society in a financial and physical sense but often do not get the opportunity to take part in art groups this being partly because on a local government level and nationally funding is an issue and unfortunately little is left to fund therapeutic projects of any kind . I feel very passionately about the therapeutic value of art and I know from past experience what a powerful tool art can play not only in education but in mental health wellbeing ,non verbal communication, raising self esteem, achievement for all, group cohesion, social interaction, encourages communication skills plus many more benefits. It often makes me so angry how often little credibility is given to the value of art interaction. I would like to take certain government members out with me to show them what a wonderful tool interactive art is and emphasize how more funding and recognition is needed for arts.

• I looked around my community and found a local church knitting group and a supported living project for adults with varying abilities to work with. I chose these particular groups as they rarely managed to become involved in art projects and after talking to them and their carers were all keen to have a go at peg art.

Groups I worked with within the community• White bridge church Dukinfield, ladies knitting group. Pastor Eddy

Inglis.• Gamesley community living project. Senior carer Jemma Pike.• 30 Totley Green, Gamesley SK13OBG,telephone 01457512160.• Working with these groups was I feel the defining time of change for

me regarding not only my project but my profession. Working taking art to often forgotten groups within our community is a must, a fire has been lit in me that is driving me to meet their artistic needs. Now I really needed to focus on tailoring the peg art session to the specific needs of the people I was working with.

Out in the community

Catering to the ladies specific needs meant that the peg art session was a huge success and had a really positive effect on the ladies, so much so that a planned one hour session turned into four hours with lunch and a trip to the local shop for more pegs and glitter. Being in familiar surroundings and catering for the specific needs kept the ladies engaged and promoted socialization . It was whilst here that the idea of making an interactive piece of furniture came to be. I received the most wonderful letter from staff thanking me for the craft session and telling me how much it had a positive effect on the ladies. I think the pictures speak for themselves.

Another dimension• To add another interactive element to my proposed interactive table I decided

to add a where's Wally? type of game .Over the Christmas period I painted over 80 pegs the same and one slightly different creating Where's Peggy?

The making of the table• I had a woodwork induction and agreed a support plan to keep myself and others safe in the

workroom, and arraigned a day to make my table when I had support. • After sketching a couple of table designs I came up with a design that I thought would

work ,ordered and paid for the wood, Perspex, and material needed for the table. The legs I managed to get for a £1 donation and twine for free from Ameus at Mossley which is a furniture project.

• Cost..• Wood..£4.00• Twine. Free• Legs…£1.00• Perspex..£6.10• Pegs…..£12.00• Screws, glue and modesty clips….free• Decorative paint,….£5.30• Total cost of table £29.40p

AssemblyMaking the table was pretty easy but not without a couple of hiccups! After measuring and fixing together the pieces that had been kindly cut by the technicians yes I had a table but it was wobbly, unsafe and did not support the Perspex . I had a chat with Hazel and the technician who advised putting a skirt around the table fixed with plastic modesty clips. This I did but still had a Perspex top that sagged in the middle I fixed this by adding two wooden block supports matching them with the corner supports. All screws were counter sunk giving a flat finish. The table was then primed and painted and the twine pleated and fixed with glue and tacks giving a decorative tactile edge to the table.

The finishing touch.

• The pegs were arranged on the table along with the peg springs as spacers and the Perspex edge sanded to a smooth rounded finish to meet with health and safety. The Perspex top can be removed easily allowing for the pegs to be moved around.

What now?• At the moment I am tying to organize several things.• I am leasing with the supported living project to organize a day that the ladies can come and look at the

finished table but trying to work round each ladies weekly schedule is proving difficult so we have decided to wait a few more weeks until the day centre that they attend have a holiday so they can all come together.

• I initially contacted Molly Garner ,molly_garner@Hotmail.co.uk to try and get the table in the Geoffrey Manton building café area but Molly is no longer in charge of the space .I had a chat with our technician who said it would be good to put my table in a children's hospital. Taking this advice on board I Have searched the internet and found Manchester children's hospital have a dedicated arts team called Lime Arts that work with the hospital on all arts projects. Looking into Lime Arts I looked at everyone's profile and job and I emailed brian@lime art.org . Brian Chapman is the director and the first port of call for all artists wishing to become involved in providing art or a service to children in the hospital. I have emailed Brian the pictures of my table and told him how my peg project evolved, I am awaiting a reply.

• During the last couple of weeks I have after talking to Hazel and trawling the internet found Arts for Health who run community art projects I have emailed Clive Parkinson at c.parkinson@mmu.ac.uk telling him what I have been doing and asking if there are any collaborative projects coming up that I could get involved in. We have swapped a few emails and I am due to meet up with Clive in the next couple of weeks to have a chat and see what I can get involved in, I'm really excited at the prospect of more artistic community work.