Artwork representing areas’ unique traits

Pictured above: Mufti, neighbourhood artists for Ashley, Easton and Lawrence Hill, playing games at Make Sunday Special

Like the rest of her team, Neighbourhood Arts manager Emma Williams is passionate about art connecting communities and enriching lives.

“The ambition of the Neighbourhood Arts Programme (NAP) is to see 14 unique arts projects happen across the whole of Bristol during 2015,” Emma explains.

Beginning last September, the NAP project aims to engage communities creatively in green issues during Bristol’s year as European Green Capital.

Findings from the team’s initial research phase showed that Bristol residents wanted to be consulted and involved – that they wanted to consider green issues of local significance, and how the award was relevant to them personally.

Each NAP project has, therefore, been community-led, with the first – a green treasure hunt – launched last week.

Emma says: “Each Bristol neighbourhood is different in character, with its own priorities and concerns: likewise, each project is designed to express those traits and to engage local people in environmental issues, in a relevant and meaningful way.”

In these times of austerity, funding for the arts is invariably under question – and the NAP programme is no different.

The programme is funded by Bristol 2015, using money from the Department of Energy & Climate Change (DECC) that was ring-fenced for the ‘neighbourhood’ category.

Says Emma: “It is part of our commitment to place a real emphasis on engaging with different communities in Bristol.

“Bristol 2015 grants have enabled a whole host of amazing projects, from large-scale strategic visions to smaller neighbourhood endeavours.

“Through the support of the Arts Council we’ve had national and international arts commissions. All of these have aimed to inspire debate and raise awareness and activity around the green agenda. The Neighbourhood Arts Programme is about combining that creativity with a local desire to drive change.”

Emma is familiar with the arguments around funding. “I used to be the arts co-ordinator at Bristol Children’s Hospital and people used to remark how money could be better spent on beds. Hospital equipment is of obvious importance, but there’s no argument when you see the transformative nature of an arts intervention on a very sick child.

“The arts can be an extraordinary social tool for helping people confront difficulties, inspire hope and change behaviour. It’s important to look at our existence and the challenges we face a lot more holistically.”

Communities were asked to consider which green issues most affected them – or what place, group of people or theme might be an appropriate subject for their community’s creative brief. Interested residents and representatives from local arts and community organisations were then invited to form adviser groups, one for each geographical area.

In fact, the programme has been supported by over 70 local advisers from a wide variety of organisations and community groups including St Paul’s Carnival, Refugee Women of Bristol, The Hub in Lockleaze, Ambition Lawrence Weston and Knightstone Housing Association.

The NAP programme aims to reach all sectors of the community, and Emma believes that the programme is succeeding here. “We’re going to be covering most of Bristol, and some of our commissions have been specifically aimed towards hard-to-reach communities and people. Each project has its own remit and the artists’ challenge is to tackle it accordingly.

“For instance the Ashley, Easton and Lawrence Hill project is looking at antisocial waste across those wards, while Dundry View is aiming to get more young people up and active on the Dundry Slopes and our Greater Bedminster artist is looking to bring together the more isolated area of Ashton Vale and to inspire a sense of community through a series of nature activities.”

To find out more about the Neighbourhood Arts Programme, call 0117 379 0115, email nap@bristol2015.co.uk or visit www.bristol2015.co.uk/nap