Wellbeing
Learning visual, textile and 3D arts skills in a therapeutic environment becomes a mindfulness experience which brings us into the present.
Living Well With Dementia
Art Group 2014 - 2020
“In The Moment’ was an artist-led group for people living with dementia and their carers. It was a real pleasure to facilitate weekly art & poetry sessions with the Wordsworth Trust and Lakeland Arts learning teams and volunteers. These wonderful sessions were full of enriching moments which were uplifting for all participants including, carers.
We often drew our inspiration from the exhibitions at Abbot Hall Art Gallery. Monet’s ability to capture ephemeral moments resonated with our aim to bring people into the present and inspire moments of joy through being creative.
Art and poetry inspired by Kurt Shwitters, became “Merz in The Moment” , an exhibition at the Merz Barn, in Langdale, which was Shwitters’ studio in the 1940’s.
“Being creative here, it takes you away from your fears” - John Hetherington
Commissioned by Lakeland Arts, Funded by Cumbria County Council, Arts Council England and The Hadfield Trust.
Manna House Community Tapestry
2018-19
The Manna House Charity is an exceptional model of social inclusion for homeless and vulnerable people in the South Lakes. I felt enormously privileged to be commissioned by Lakeland Arts to create The Manna House Tapestry inspired by Grayson Perry’s tapestry, Julie Cope’s Grand Tour: The Story of a Life, exhibited in the Abbot Hall Gallery.
The tapestry intertwines the Manna House story with stories of the ordinary and extraordinary lives of this community and of the people who pass through. I transformed part of Manna House’s new building into an art studio with a positive social and creative environment to foster an atmosphere for people to feel safe to share their stories and feel validated whilst creating the tapestry. Grayson Perry values others with compassion and humour, I focused on incorporating these qualities into the tapestry making at all stages.
Video on Vimeo: Manna House and the Tapestry (5:40) Donna: 00:32, 2:34 and 5:04
Commissioned by Lakeland Arts. Funded by Arts Council England, Crafts Council, Art Fund, Department for Culture Media & Sport, Sir John Fisher Foundation and Rathbones.
Storm Desmond Flood Tapestry
2016 - 18 “A Stitched Story”
In 2015, Storm Desmond flooded and devastated parts of Kendal. I felt honoured when The Quaker Tapestry commissioned me to facilitate this project as a way of allowing the hard-hit flooded community to share their stories with one another and the outside world as a tapestry.
The workshops brought together a displaced and weary community with a common purpose, to share their story. In the beginning, it was an emotional and cathartic experience, with stories coming to life as the group sketched. With time, a healing balance was found through the shared process of making art and creating their tapestry in the wake of destruction. The community came together at the Quaker Tapestry Museum, Cornerstone Community Centre and Castle Park Primary School, to celebrate their remarkable resilience in overcoming the devastating effect of the floods. The workshops saw over 100 participants ranging from 7 to 70+ years old.
Commissioned by The Quaker Tapestry. Funded by Westmoreland Arts Fund, Cumbria Community Foundation and the Creative Futures Legacy Fund.
