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
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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 sean@zebra-access.com 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!
 We recently did a project with LET US PLAY at Green Park School, Wolverhampton Let Us Play organise events for children with disabilities and we devised a Jungle Book Music/Art and Storytelling workshop. We practised performing the story with animal masks and musical instruments we’d created from scratch and the final performance would be in front of parents and carers. We were blown away when one boy decided to stage manage the performance, suggesting we took to the stage (why hadn’t WE thought of that?) and telling the actors to hide behind the screen until their turn came up in the story. This is one of the key aims of RAW – that the people we work with take ownership of the work. It was a fantastic performance, all the better for the young man’s suggestions. 2018 has been an amazing year for RAW (watch the short video above). It's the year we really reignited the flame of Real Arts Workshops, which began life as a university art project in 1996 and then went on hold for the best part of 20 years. We've forged new relationships with 13 organisations, delivered (over) 75 separate workshop sessions and designed at least 15 brand new and unique projects - all with the same goal: to break down barriers, improve confidence and encourage self expression. In a climate of austerity never has there been such a need for the restorative powers of art, music and craft. People of all ages get affected by issues of mental health and our projects are designed to be accessible by all, regardless of perceived barriers.
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AuthorAlex Vann is an all round creative. He formed RAW in 1997 out of a University project and restarted it in 2018 after working as a graphic designer for agencies and in-house for many years. Archives
December 2019
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