A Journey Through Art, Heritage, and Inclusion At RAW we're passionate about the power of art to connect communities, exploring heritage, and promoting inclusion. Our recent collaboration with The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust’s Arts and Heritage Group on the Care, Create, Conserve project perfectly embodies this ethos. Care, Create, Conserve was an 18-month long programme of arts and heritage activity, beginning in the 75th year of the NHS. Central to this project was the launch of a brand new Healthcare Heritage Centre, which exhibited a fascinating collection of medical artefacts, photographs, and memorabilia and acted as a community co-creation hub, hosting a vibrant programme of talks, events, and workshops.  Funded by a grant of £139,792 from the National Lottery Heritage Fund awarded in October 2023, this project, which we began working on in February 2024, involved a range of creative commissions across Wolverhampton. The project aimed to consider issues of identity, disability, and language within a healthcare context. We were thrilled to team up and be commissioned by the Trust to deliver workshops through the project which saw school pupils and recovering patients taking part in enriching experiences within the workshops. Who We Worked With
What We CreatedThe workshops resulted in some truly thought-provoking and inspiring artworks: Penn Fields School Pupils collaborated to create a stunning 2D collage of The Royal Hospital building in All Saints, using torn-up newspapers and photographs about the hospital's history. The collaged sky includes clouds made from printed comments of what the NHS means to the young participants. They also constructed a detailed 3D model of the hospital from recycled cardboard, complete with a lift-off roof revealing miniature hospital scenes.  
At the NRU, West Park Hospital The Neuro Rehabilitation Unit at West Park Hospital looks after people with acute neurological conditions for example brain injury, Parkinson's and survivors of strokes. We worked with a small group of adults on a short series of creative sessions. Participants produced several artworks inspired by the Weeping Chapel, an octagonal Victorian building on the hospital site. These included beautiful dot paintings, delicate watercolour paintings, and intricate 3D cardboard models of the chapel.    Warstones Primary School's Deaf Resource Base The children collectively recreated Gary’s powerful painting "Two Worlds," which depicts Deaf and Hearing worlds working together in harmony. Each child was given a square section of the artwork, pre-printed with audiogram charts relating to patients' hearing checks.
 RAW's Gary O'Dowd, who is profoundly Deaf, said: “It was great to have the opportunity of working with the young people at the Deaf Resource Base at Warstones School. We were able to borrow some archive hearing equipment from the Wolverhampton Sensory Team which the pupils had a great time learning about and interacting with. I spoke with the children about how technology has advanced since I was a pupil myself at a school for deaf children in the North East in the 1980s. In recent times there have been huge advances in digital hardware for deaf people and smart phone technology now features deaf inclusive apps such as instant messaging, SMS texting, video calls and more specifically platforms such as Sign Video, Zoom, Facetime and BSL 999. Unfortunately, there are still many inequalities for Deaf and disabled people although BSL has eventually been officially recognised, it’s still not accessible everywhere or on the school curriculum. Projects like this are useful to raise awareness of such issues - framed in a creative, fun and interactive way.”   Elinor Cole, former Arts and Heritage Co-ordinator at The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust, said: “We have seen some thought-provoking work produced by participants in these workshops – work that really allowed them to immerse themselves in the project. And the resultant artworks will help us to raise further awareness of our Heritage Centre and spark greater interest across our communities, as well as prompt reflection.”  Alex Vann from RAW added: “We found this such a rich and rewarding experience, and it was fascinating to see the artworks develop along the way. But it’s important to appreciate the wider benefits of these projects as we saw people of all ages developing new skills and gaining a real sense of satisfaction. They also benefitted from positive, social interaction with others and enjoyed working as a team. Projects like this help to break down barriers and challenge perceptions and remind us all that by looking back at the past we learn how to do things better in the future.” This project has demonstrated the power of art to explore our shared heritage, build bridges between communities, and promote understanding and inclusion. We at RAW are incredibly proud to have been a part of it and you can watch our end of project video below. Customer survey results The Care, Create, Conserve exhibition can now be found at Wolverhampton City Archives, Molineux Hotel Building, Whitmore Hill, Wolverhampton, WV1 1SF.
Useful links https://www.rwtnhscharity.co.uk/arts-heritage/care-create-conserve/ https://www.rwtnhscharity.co.uk/news/rich-and-rewarding-workshops-bring-many-benefits/ #NHS #CareCreateConserve #GivingPeopleACreativeVoice #Healthcare #Wolverhampton #RoyalHospitalTrust #WestParkHospital #PennFieldsSchool #WarstonesSchool #DeafAwareness #BSL
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Amazing Christmas and New Year HAF CreativityWe were really pleased to be funded by Department for Education and Wolverhampton City Council to provide a range of enriching art, craft and BSL experiences for young people aged 7-16 (25 with EHCP). The HAF scheme provides funded places for eligible families, and recognises the impact holiday clubs have on children and young people. These schemes help young people stay active, eat healthily, take part in enriching and engaging activities and reduce social isolation. We design our activities based on previous feedback from young people and foster a sense of community, inclusion and support. Our sessions are generally staffed by a sign language interpreter making them accessible to BSL users.  Chinese lanterns created by the young people adorn the foliage in the atrium at All Saints Action Network We ran our sessions on 4 days, on 23rd December 2024 and then again on 2nd, 3rd and 4th of January 2025. We were hosted by All Saints Action Network, and would like to thank all our staff and volunteers for making this another memorable scheme. Here's a little snapshot of what the young people got up to on our scheme... Day 1 : Christmas Crafts and Healthy LifestylesWe took the opportunity to do some Christmas Crafts as there were still 2 days left until the big day! This included pinecone trees, tea-light snowmen, decorated cardboard baubles and wood slices and drawings. Here's what the young people told us in feedback about the activity:
It is a requirement of our funding that we deliver some information about healthy lifestyle choices, including about diet, and so we thought it would be fun to encourage the children to make their own Christmas characters using fresh fruits - which they could then eat. Here's what they told us about this activity:
Day 2 : Tee Shirts and Cardboard afternoonThe children had a morning of creating their own tee-shirts. As you can see there were all sorts of different designs. This was followed by an afternoon learning about RAW's founder, artist Alex Vann's journey from a final year university project to Real Arts Workshops, via the Wolves in Wolves public art project, painting the mayor of Wolverhampton and publishing his book 'Joseph The Useful Cardboard Box' which led onto some cardboard crafts including about healthy eating etc. The message being that from a seemingly small idea can come a whole business idea! Here are a few pics... Here's what the young people said about this day...
Day 3 : wooden model making, optical illusions and snake drawingsThis was a busy day of creativity! Starting with assembling wooden models of animals, insects and dinosaurs - a good test of following instructions, patience and fine motor skill work! This was followed by our volunteer Wayne leading some mind-bending optical illusion type drawings on gridded paper. As 2025 is Chinese year of the snake, some young people tried out their sketching skills on a drawing of a King Cobra - aren't they amazing? Here's what the young people told us about this day...
Day 4: Chinese New Year and BSL / Deaf awareness and gamesThe young people took part in a wide range of Chinese New Year activities, icluding making lanterns (using baubles), snake origami, painting Chinese characters on a 'magic' disappearing paint mat and making good luck Spring Couplets. Then our very own Deaf role model, Gary, explained about his own journey as a Deaf person growing up in a hearing environment, including, meeting ambassador for the Deaf community and level 2 signer, Princess Diana; campaigning for BSL recognition by the Government and being a TV presenter (even appearing in hit TV show Byker Grove). Followed by BSL game of bingo, which included vocabulary about physical activities. Lunch time runarounds!We are lucky to work at a venue with its own football pitches and our young people love to get some fresh air and exercise at lunch times. Survey resultsWe always ask for online feedback on the last day of the scheme. This is anonymous and gives us an insight into what the young people enjoyed most, how they rate our staff and our activity and helps us build and plan for future activities.  As you can see, we get an almost 5 star rating, which we are very pleased with.  100% of participants said they enjoyed taking part ans 90% told us that they learnt something new.  90% told us that they felt more creative/ inspired after attending our scheme. End of scheme feedback (including volunteers and parents): Thank you all for your kindness and support Histrionic WaterAlex Vann from Real Arts Workshops (RAW) was delighted to get the call from Heather Wastie from Alarum Productions, to add British Sign Language and subtitles to the film of her wonderful poem ‘Histrionic Water’. Alex is hearing and signs to level 6 and sometimes does communication support work in education and has previously added BSL to films and live performances. However, when it came to this project he asked his partner in business and in life, Gary O’Dowd, to do the signing. This is because the words of the poem are so expressive and visual that it made sense for a native Deaf BSL user to perform the poem. Most people who have studied BSL will quickly learn that it isn’t just about doing things with your hands and arms. Rather, it uses the whole body to communicate and in particular facial expressions and it was felt that a Deaf signer would convey this with maximum authenticity.
When it came to translating ‘Histrionic Water’, it was vital to Alex and Gary that a Deaf audience should understand what it meant. It wouldn’t do just to translate the English straight into hand gestures, like others forms of communication, for example Makaton and Sign Supported English. It had to go further and tell the story and almost act it so that a Deaf audience would understand not just the words but the meaning. Alex and Gary worked on translating the poem on paper first, and Gary practiced and practiced until the poem flowed. Filming was problematic because Gary obviously can’t hear the poem so Alex had to use hand signals and pointing to sections of the poem off camera. Even then – trying to match the timing of the spoken word was near impossible. So they shot it in small sections, in front of a greenscreen, and Alex had the unenviable task of ‘stitching’ the pieces together in video editing software to match the film of the poem. There are some fades between the signed sections because one thing BSL must do is flow – and not jump from one sign to another. Initial feedback from Deaf audiences is very encouraging:
Alex Vann from RAW said: We love working in collaborations with other organisations and artists so when Heather got in touch about this project we were very excited. One of our key values as a business is inclusion so making a film Deaf accessible is right up our street. We hope Heather’s film is a huge success and that we get to work together again in future. Working with BID Services Youth ClubMay 6-12th was Deaf Awareness Week in the UK. RAW delivered several projects including one with BID Services Youth Club, Birmingham based around Deaf identity. It followed on from an earlier project we ran with adults in Wolverhampton where we created a giant (5ft high) cardboard sculpture of signing hands, decorated with posters, drawings and words made by Deaf and hearing people (see photos at the bottom of this blog).  Young people with the final giant signing hands, now in the reception of BID SERVICES. Some of the brilliant creative work being made. Deaf Awareness at Mossley Community Arts Club Gary explaining what BSL is
Our very own #DAWRoleModels2019 Gary O'Dowd led a Deaf Awareness session as part of our regular Community Arts Club on Tuesday evenings, 4.30-6.30pm at Mattesley Court, Walsall. Giant signing hands for DeafFest 2019 Our giant signing hands made by adults at Zebra Access Art Day 18.4.19 A slideshow of closeups of the artwork created by mixed hearing and Deaf people at our joint Art Day with Zebra Access at Newhampton Arts Centre, Wolverhampton. The sculpture will be on show at Deaffest at Lighthouse Media Centre 17-19 May 2019. RAW will have at stall 10am-4pm on Saturday 18th May. Come and meet us!  Fingerspelling alphabet We are excited to be working in association with Deaf organisation ZEBRA ACCESS on a unique art project at Newhampton Arts Centre, Wolverhampton WV1 4AN.
The day starts at 10.30am and finishes at 3.30pm with an hour for lunch (there is a cafe on site or you can bring your own). We will be making a 3D sculpture using recycled materials - exploring Deaf identity, culture and experiences. There are craft activities for children too. Hearing friends and family are welcome. This is a free event but please email [email protected] or text him on 07472 958534 to let him know if you are coming.  2019 has seen us working with a wide range of ages already. We love to hear the stories from adults and also enjoy when they take ownership of their own work. Some examples of our work with the older generation are here. Greetings Cards at BID Services: Gary led on this session at Deaf Cultural Centre in Birmingham. The artists used traditional card making techniques such as decoupage and collage as well as new technology – typesetting and sourcing images online which can be printed off during the session to create truly bespoke cards for loved ones. Presentation to ZEBRA ACCESS Coffee morning at Lighthouse Media Centre. We made a Wish Tree and Deaf people wrote on tags what they’d like from a potential Art Club. We also encouraged them to make small drawings which were hung on the tree. Despite many protestations of ‘I can’t draw’ I think you’ll agree the results beg to differ. It was really encouraging to see such imaginative work and watch this space to see if we get to produce more work with the Zebra Access group. Card making at Pensnett and Brierley Hill Active Retirement. Similar to the session at BID Services, this time we met a secret poet. A 92 year old gentleman wrote and recited his own poem about the pros and cons of drinking spirits! It went down a bomb with everyone – a real tonic!
Doors 4 Thought at St Martin's C of E Gary from RAW with Maya and Milan For a week, beginning on Monday 1st October 2018 we worked with all the pupils at St Martin’s C of E School in Tipton to create large scale artwork with a difference. The aim of the ‘Doors For Thought’ project was to decorate 17 of the classroom doors with the key values of the school. Each year group had 2 doors to decorate, one for their own classroom and one for another internal door in the school. Each door has it’s own ‘theme’ based on 17 of the school values or ‘character strengths’ such as ‘respect’; ‘humility’ and ‘creativity’.  Gary with some of the finished door canvasses
We have been delighted that the children were so enthusiastic about this project. It is a unique way to represent the values of St Martin’s and engage learners with art activity.” Alex Vann, Founder of RAW
British Sign Language (BSL) was also integrated into the art sessions which were held in the main hall of the school. A member of RAW, Gary O’Dowd, is profoundly Deaf and uses BSL to communicate. BSL translations of the theme words are printed onto the doors both as signs and as fingerspelt words.
 Sample Classroom doors We were delighted to be asked to deliver the art sessions for HeadStart Wolverhampton Summer Activities in Low Hill + The Scotlands areas.  RAW is all about ‘Giving People a Creative Voice’. That is achieved through providing a platform for people to use the Arts to express themselves; break down barriers; build confidence; encourage team work; have fun; try something new and learn new skills.  We are aware of the work HeadStart does in supporting the mental wellbeing of young people and wanted our activities to reflect that. We designed a varied programme which included – Honesty Portraits - inspired by a series of postcards created by a teenager dealing with her own mental health issues. Young people were encouraged to draw and paint what makes them happy / unhappy and use innovative ways of expressing that, including collage and use of text / vocabulary. They designed masks on paper first and then painted on plain masks mounted onto canvas. These were then photographed and made into postcards. Here are a few examples of their work: This was the messiest art work we’ve done! (Cofi) I felt happy (Nicole) The Tree Of Hope- decorated with print outs of artwork they’d created previously, ‘wish tags’ - written tags about a general wish they have for the world and drawings and statements about their hopes and aspirations for the future. British Sign Language and Deaf Awareness- led by RAW team member Gary, who is profoundly Deaf. This included the 'Numberplate Game' to test the young people had learnt fingerspelling and numbers in BSL. I found it really interesting – learning sign language and about blind and deaf people. It was good creating the images for the posters. (Emma) It’s really good and I enjoyed learning sign language (Brinley) Performing the HeadStart song in Sign LanguageThe young put their newly found sign language skills to good use and produced a video of them signing along to the HeadStart song which was written by young people in association with Rock School Music. The song is all about the worries some young people feel when they leave primary education and start 'big school'. I enjoyed all of it. I was kind of nervous seeing myself on the video (doing sign language to the HeadStart song) but my confidence is growing. (Keira) Portrait drawing in proportionAlex demonstrated a quick way to divide a 'headspace' to get the features in the right positions. 'The 5 Ways To Wellbeing': pledges and poster designsWe used the NHS '5 ways to wellbeing' as a starting point for young people to think how they could 1. Connect; 2. Give; 3. Keep Learning; 4. Take Notice and 5. Keep Active. We have been very pleased with the work created and hope that the young people have something they will feel proud of and remember for years to come. Alex Vann and Gary O’Dowd. Feedback from the young people who took part"I like doing art because I don’t get to do painting at home" (Corey)
"I found it really fun because I can finally have a chance to paint to my full potential" (Theo) "I really enjoyed the art session" (Isabelle) "It’s really good and I enjoyed learning sign language" (Brinley) "It’s really fun to try new things and make friends, and understand what art is all about" (Nnedimma) "I found it really interesting – learning sign language and about blind and deaf people. It was good creating the images for the posters." (Emma) "I enjoyed all of it. I was kind of nervous seeing myself on the video (doing sign language to the HeadStart song) but my confidence is growing." (Keira) "I enjoyed the art – I’ve always done art and love to express myself that way." (Demi) "This was the messiest art work we’ve done!" (Cofi) Mine is about anti-bullying.(Madison) My painting shows good things at the top and bad at the bottom. (Lexi) I felt happy (Nicole) NB: Copyright in all of the original work shown here is owned by the originator(s) including the young people, and has been used with permission. All other artwork, photographs and video are © 2018 Real Arts Workshops. |
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