The Brewery Arts Creative Learning team has acquired a reputation for delivering a successful and engaging arts programme and is particularly strong in the development of partnership work.

We operate as a cultural resource for South Lakeland, offering a service to formal and informal education providers through our centre-based and outreach programme. We have worked alongside arts organisations, local authority youth organisations, children’s services, charities as well as health and social services.

In the last 18 months (prior to Covid-19) we managed and delivered the following community programmes:

• Creative Connections (funded through Sir John Fisher Foundation). Our work with vulnerable adults involves workshops with local and national arts practitioners in music, dance and visual arts. We run weekly sessions in partnership with Mill Lane Day Centre in Barrow and monthly sessions in Kendal Day Centre.
• Applied Theatre in Cumbria  (in partnership with Curious Minds, South Lakeland District Council, the Police and Crime Commissioner, Community Safety South Cumbria, South Lakeland Health and Wellbeing).  Using theatre as a methodology for addressing issues of concern to young people we performed an immersive theatre piece exploring County Lines to schools in South Cumbria. We hope to revive Ruby by Kevin Dyer, our first project, exploring the mental health of young people when schools are reopened and it is safe to do so.
• Act Your Age (in partnership with Age UK). Following their successful project with Headlong Theatre Company Act Your Age were invited to work alongside Dignity in Dementia creating a play reframing that condition. Written by Elis Shotton “A Different Tune” toured to several venues across South Cumbria and was followed by a Q&A run by Dignity in Dementia. This was funded through Arts Council England. The group had (prior to Covid-19) been working with Duns Players in Scotland on a cross border project called “Borderlands”.
• Emotional Warrior (funded through The Raynes Foundation and Cumbria County Council South Lakes Neighbourhood Forum). Working with local schools this pilot project explores emotional resilience. Using arts methodology alongside sports psychology we hope to support young people through the transition from primary to secondary school. We were partway through this project before lockdown and hope to pick it up again when safety allows. This project will be evaluated by the University of Cumbria.