Creative Hub
This term at Creative Hub we have had the pleasure of working with an external artist; David Beech who works at Bristol’s Ken Straddling Collection. David has worked alongside the Jump Studios Staff to create an amazing 10-week programme based on his project ‘My Family and Other Objects.’
We asked the young people to select a personal object that they thought told a story about them, their family, their culture, or their community. Using this object as inspiration, they are creating their own art pieces to exhibit at our Jump Studios Showcase.
The young people have explored what ‘the arts’ means to them. Through taster sessions and self-led practice, the young people have been able to tell their stories. They have used digital drawing, animation, photography, pixel art, Minecraft, sculpture, jewellery making, and even more traditional techniques.
We took a visit to the Ken Straddling Collection on Park Row this November. Everyone got a coach from Knowle West with cameras at the ready and sketchbooks in their hands to capture the experience and use it to inspire their projects.
As part of this project, the young people have had the opportunity to start their Bronze Arts Awards as an exciting way to show their participation in local creative arts as well as gain a qualification. The young people have created such a marvelous variety of work.
On Monday the 12th of Dec we invited friends, families, artists, and associates to join the young people for a beautiful end-of-term celebration. The young people gave tours around the exhibition space and shared their creative journeys with their guests. Families and friends were able to enjoy all of the art being exhibited, join in with some creative activities, as well as try out KWMC’s new Virtual Reality headsets. There was an incredibly special atmosphere as the community came together to share this celebration and we were touched to hear feedback from everyone who came.
Thankyou for this amazing club and fantastic opportunities.
parent
Thank you for giving my children the creative outlet – they love it here.
parent
Maker City
This term at Maker City, we wanted The Factory to become a space that the young people trusted, felt ownership over and felt inspired by. We wanted to build their confidence around the programme, around the space and within the new group dynamics.
The term started with lots of fun opportunities to learn how to use different digital design programs like Inkscape, Sketchbook, and TinkerCAD. They then used those programs to start making products with different briefs using the laser cutter, 3d printer, digital embroidery machine, UV printer, and vinyl cutter.
Throughout the term, the young people were able to meet their mentors from Arup, Arcadis and Mott Macdonald and have their say on the design of Bristol’s Castle Park. The young people thrived using their knowledge and opinions in this real world application and we saw the relationships between the young people and the mentors develop throughout the term as they worked together to tackle the brief.
A group of young people also onboarded the Maker City Youth Council who have been working with our partners and researchers; UCL and attending research sessions this term which will be continuing throughout the year. The young people have been proud to share their Maker City stories and help design their own research to understand Maker Spaces like The Factory. Last year Maker City young people co-designed a survey with UCL, which the current cohort filled out this term.
Using the theme of recycling and upcycling, we planted a social action seed that the young people explored with seriousness and curiosity. The young people were able to bring in items from their homes; using their new digital design skills to upcycle them. We wanted everyone to start understanding the design process this term and through, master classes and permission to fail, the young people practised; researching, prototyping, designing, redesigning, working independently, as part of a team and creating using all of the tools available to them at The Factory.
When we asked young people what they had learnt this term we were told; ‘I have learnt about the environment,’ ‘I have learnt how to use Inkscape,’ ‘I have learnt that the laser cutter is incredibly useful when cutting intricate pieces,’ ‘I feel excited,’ ‘I want to do more.’
The young people took ownership of their projects and as their designs started unfolding they worked together incredibly as a team to help get everyone’s products finished. By the end of the term, some of the young people were able to use the machines confidently and could help each other to print their work.
The young people chose to come to Filwood Community Christmas Market with the KWMC staff on their weekend to show their work to the community and tell other people what they had been working on this term. It was amazing to see the pride and excitement the young people had over their work and how confident they were to talk to the public about Maker City.
The end-of-the-term showcase was another beautiful celebration where friends and families came together with the young people to enjoy an exhibition of their upcycling projects as well as take part in some digital fabrication activities with the young people. The young people took ownership of the space; giving tours of the building and showing their friends and families how to use the machines to print off Christmas stickers and baubles to take home.
Some of the parents left feedback on the question: What have you noticed since your young person started at Maker City?
It’s amazing what we can see, how happy my daughter is here. She’s enjoyed every meeting with KWMC. Thank you all!
parent
My child is always excited to come to Maker City, very enthusiastic about all the activities and very lucky to have participated in it. It has been an amazing experience. – thank you!’
parent
Sound Wave & Sound Wave +
Across this term in Sound Wave, the young people have been exploring different creative activities around music. A few weeks ago, they planned and recorded their own podcasts that looked at a range of topics including music, football, and the climate crisis.
As well as creating their own music using software such as Garageband and Sound Trap, they also designed their own album artwork through Canva. We had a fantastic range of designs that really showed the young people’s creativity and personalities. As well as this, they created their dream playlist of songs and shared this with the group.
It has been great to see what the young people have made and see their confidence grow through the term. It had also been amazing to see them explore all the creative aspects of music from the recording and songwriting to the designing and sharing of music in the group.
It’s been great to learn and improve music making skills.
young person
Our Soundwave showcase was really fun. We prepared the space together with the young people showing their songs on laptops and their songbooks out for viewing on tables. When the parents and caregivers arrived, the young people took pride in showing them around the space, playing them songs and reading them lyrics from their songbooks.
Ben’s dad was the first to arrive and he spent over an hour together talking through Ben’s process and listening to his songs. It was really special to see how engaged they were with the process and Ben’s Dad left us with some wonderful feedback.
“Inspiring how the young adults have expressed themselves so artistically and clearly. Thank you for all the support and enrichment!
ben’s dad
Lily came in just for the showcase. It was so nice to have her come as we had so much of her work on display. Her parents were really in awe of the space and what she had made over the weeks here with us. Lily wrote a beautiful song about her best friend who has been in hospital. We were so impressed when she wrote it and her parents were also really amazed at the vulnerability she showed in her writing.
“Thank you for helping Lily to better understand music and song writing! She has loved coming here and is keen to come back!
lily’s parents
A huge thank you to all of our funders for making this term possible.
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