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3457 Educators providing Love courses

Creative Arts Mentoring

creative arts mentoring

London

Artist Mentor enables contemporary artists and creative professionals to make significant changes in their work and lives. We have mentored and coached hundreds of creative clients from across the globe to improve their work, lives, businesses, and their careers. We love helping creative people be more successful. Take your moonshot! Ceri hand talks about the services that Artist Mentor provides, and how, with the right kind of tailored coaching, you can achieve creative, professional and personal goals that may have previously eluded you. [The video will open in a pop-up window] Whether you want to make better work, attract more studio visits, exhibitions, build your network, create a more compelling website, make more income, or get that new job, we can help you shine. Together we take stock of your work and creative journey to date, clarify your strengths, purpose, and opportunities, and define the steps you need to take to achieve your goals. We work with individuals over an agreed period, as a challenging, critical friend, providing accountability to ensure lasting transformation. We plan with you how to integrate what you’ve learned within your everyday life and schedule, ensuring you continue to thrive. We provide one-to-one and group sessions, providing learning and skill sharing opportunities through expert led classes, resources and free community events and resources. We also have a network of Associate Mentors we provide regular work to - a diverse mix of experienced artists, curators, educators and gallerists, enabling us to respond to increased demand and support a growing range of client and sector needs. All sessions are confidential and your Artist Mentor mentor or coach will be a committed, trusted critical friend. Why get a Mentor or Coach? If you’re a creative, chances are you’re an introvert, deep thinker and highly sensitive - great qualities for realising innovative work! Unfortunately, we know that a high percentage of creative people can often feel isolated, rejected, and suffer from self-doubt, negative self-talk, or imposter syndrome. Old stories may weigh heavily and inhibit your growth, or you get stuck in a fear of failure loop or suffer from self-destructive habits. It might be that you simply can’t see the wood from the trees and have lost sight of your priorities or strengths. Having a trusted champion, committed to helping you flourish, helps you identify and make the changes necessary to reach your goals. A mentor or coach believes in you, recognises your special sauce, identifies opportunities, new tools, and growth potential with you, setting you challenges or targets to help you take the appropriate steps. What's the difference between Mentoring and Coaching? Mentoring A Mentor can serve as a critical sounding board at critical points throughout your creative career, providing an insider's perspective and guidance you may not be able to get from other sources. The role of a mentor is to listen, learn, and advise and is usually a longer-term relationship. A mentor can help you excel in your practice and career, and become the best version of yourself, helping you achieve your goals, introducing you to new ways of thinking, challenging your limiting assumptions, signposting, and offering critical feedback. A mentor will often draw on their personal experiences and expertise to help advise and encourage dialogue with their mentee. This could be in the form of sharing a story, tools, resources, or lessons learned from a challenge they overcame in their career. This kind of personal dialogue is encouraged in a mentoring relationship. Coaching A Coach encourages self-discovery and growth to secure lasting change. Together we assess your current situation and challenges, identify limiting beliefs, interrogate, and address perceived obstacles. We create a safe thinking environment, ask incisive questions and devise a custom plan of action designed to help you achieve specific outcomes. We nurture creative strategies based on what fits best with your goals, personality and vision and foster accountability to increase productivity. Coaching partnerships are usually more short term than mentoring relationships, as they are usually objective driven and more structured. Someone may seek out a coach to help them develop a specific skill or work through a particular limiting belief. The coaching could well end once that skill or objective had been acquired. A coach can help increase your self-awareness: identifying areas for improvement, and challenging assumptions that may be preventing you achieve your goals. Coaching is often used for the development of leadership skills, where they may train you in the art of questioning to equip you to manage others better or identifying limiting beliefs in yourself. The relationship between a client and their coach is a collaborative creative partnership.

Bristol Forest School

bristol forest school

Bristol

BFS has a number of STAFF and VOLUNTEERS who assist in running our forest school sessions, planning activities and preparing resources. All BFS staff who lead sessions alone are fully Forest School qualified, DBS checked, First Aid trained and they hold Public Liability Insurance. They include… ANDY WILSON founded Bristol Forest School in 2004. He trained with the original Forest School cohort from Bridgwater College, and has a wealth of experience from 18 years forest school teaching. Andy runs regular Forest School sessions and parties at both the BFS woodland and in schools throughout Bristol. He also runs Forest School staff training. As Woodland Manager, Andy has successfully transformed the BFS site into a beautiful and accessible educational space; he monitors our ecological footprint through an environmentally sustainable attitude to Our Woodland. SOPHIE BUTLER joined Andy in 2011 and together they expanded Bristol Forest School. She is a trained Early Years teacher and qualified as a Level Three Forest School Leader in 2012. Sophie’s passion for nature and sustainability has grown over the years since living off-grid in an eco village in Hawaii. Sophie established the BFS Pre-Schools, the Saturday Club Minis and Adventurers. She now supports the running of these groups and is responsible for BFS’s policies, website and social media. HANNAH BUSHELL joined the BFS staff team in 2015 following a dedicated volunteering stint and completing her Level Three Forest School. Hannah is an experienced primary school teacher who works part-time in a Steiner Kindergarten as well as undertaking the nature connection course ‘Call of the Wild’. Hannah runs our specialist CCS days for adopted children and their families. To contact Hannah, please email hannah@bristolforestschool.co.uk. LUCY ROSE HARRIS is a qualified primary school teacher with six years teaching experience. Lucy gained her Forest School Level 3 Award in 2014 and is passionate about promoting outdoor learning opportunities, a love of nature and fun adventures for children. Lucy joined Bristol Forest School in 2017 and, following some maternity time with baby Luna, she is now back in our Pre-School team. LOUISE SPELLWARD is a qualified Horticulturalist and garden designer with a background in Environmental Conservation. Her first experience of Bristol Forest School was as a parent attending with her son; not wanting to miss out on the fun, she decided to train in Forest School herself and completed her Level 3. In 2019 Lou took on the Bristol Forest School Pre-School. To contact her, email lou@bristolforestschool.co.uk KATE BERRY is an art educator with 16 years’ experience delivering workshops in natural history, conservation, poetry, story creation, art, design and photography. She is passionate about outdoor education and wildlife conservation. Kate has worked at Bristol Forest School since 2016 and has a Level 3 Forest School qualification. In 2019 Kate began leading the Saturday Minis with Lou and Melissa. To contact her, email kate@bristolforestschool.co.uk VERONIKA SIMON studied agricultural engineering before working as a special needs teacher for primary school children with EBD as well as in a nursery for Pre-School children. Veronika enjoys sharing her passion for nature and animals and can often be found in her allotment digging or watching the bees! Veronika became a qualified Forest School leader in 2018; she started volunteering with Bristol Forest School in 2020 and now runs schools sessions and BFS parties. BESS SPENCER worked as an ‘Access to Nature’ play-worker in inner city London and trained as a Forest School leader in 2018. She now practices and teaches co-counselling and nature-facilitation activities using Tom Brown’s Apache derived techniques. At Bristol Forest School, Bess assists with our school sessions. MELISSA GAULT is a qualified Level 3 Forest School Leader and is currently studying to become an Early Years educator. She loves getting out into nature as much as possible! Melissa has been supporting Bristol Forest School since January 2018. She began as a volunteer for the Saturday Minis and is now a fully fledged member of the Pre-School team. MILLY BAILEY has an environmental background – she moved from working in an office as an environmental consultant, to the forest – which she much prefers. Milly has a passion for connecting herself and others to the natural world: she is a keen hiker, forager and wild swimmer. Milly started volunteering with Bristol Forest School in 2019 and now works as part of the Pre-School team.

Hayley Heals

hayley heals

Hi, I'm Hayley and I'm a healer and teacher. I'm trained as a Moon Mother (giving female energy healings and blessings), a shamanic healer and a crystal healer. I combine these with over twenty years experience working with witchcraft, the moon and nature to bring you healing, empowerment and knowledge. So you too can work with natural forces to bring positive change to your life. About Being a Moon Mother I began my journey as a Moon Mother in 2016. I had been taking part in something called 'The Worldwide Womb Blessing' for a year- which happens five times a year where thousands of women connect through a meditation to help them feel more empowered as women. You can read more about this on https://www.wombblessing.com After a year of taking part in this event that is run by a woman called Miranda Gray, I came across something on the Womb Blessing website about 'Moon Mothers'. Something in the name itself rang a bell in me so I continued reading. I learnt that a Moon Mother is a woman trained to do personalised womb healings and womb blessings. My heart sang in a way it never had before, and I knew this was a path I wanted to follow. I found out that Miranda Gray (she was the only teacher at the time- there are now trained teachers in addition) was doing a Level 1 Moon Mother training in London that year. I was living in Essex at the time and London is not to far, so it was ideal! Not only that but as it turns out Miranda Gray hadn't been in the UK for a few years, as she teaches all over the world, so it also felt like an unique opportunity. So I went to the Level 1 training and I fell in love with it, learning how to womb healing and blessing, everything about it felt right. I definitely wanted to continue this journey, this first one literally changed my life as I learnt how to live to my cycle and this shifted everything- even leading me to let go of taking the contraceptive pill after so many years. Two years later, there was a Level 2 training, this time in Glastonbury. It had always been my dream to go to Glastonbury but I had never been. I really wanted to go but didn't know how I would get there, or be able to afford the training, plus accommodation etc. I decided to make a gofundme page asking for donations, and I was asking for this instead of birthday presents as the training also fell on my birthday weekend. I was able partly because of the GoFundMe and partly through my own determined saving to have all the money I needed, I had a friend offer to drive and let me down, but somehow I still could afford the travel so I made it! If the first training had changed me, this weekend in Glastonbury deeply impacted me, as I did the training, but also felt much deep awakening from being in the Spiritual home of Glastonbury. I made close friends with other Moon Mothers this time. I learnt how to do the Female Soul Healing (a deeper version of the womb healing) and how to do The Gift for Men (a feminine blessing for men). The following year, a level 3 training was announced, this time in Ireland and would be held just before an annual 'Moon Mother Gathering' an event where lots of Moon Mothers come together from all over the world. On this occasion the gathering would be taking the Moon Mothers to the different sacred sites in Ireland. Of course I wanted to go! I was in the same position financially and there was even more to think about- flights etc. But I was determined to do it and so yet again by my own determination and grit, I found myself there. It was a beautiful experience shared with my new found friends from the previous years. My spirituality journey was profoundly touched by the whole experience- the training, Ireland and the sacred sites we visited. I could now offer another six versions of the womb blessing! - Opening to Sacredness, Opening to Peace and the four archetype blessings of Maiden, Mother, Enchantress and Crone. Becoming a Moon Mother and sharing this work with others has been transformative, changing my life in many ways. Out of all the work I do, this is where I feel I shine the most!

Code Red The Empowerment Project

code red the empowerment project

London

The founder, Calvin E J Wilson LLM (LSE), is a Barrister who has a longstanding interest in educating students, young adults, and their parents on the workings of the criminal justice system. The Empowerment Project Qualifications and Studies Barrister at Law, Inns of Court, School of Law, United Kingdom Attorney at Law Supreme Court of Trinidad and Tobago Senior Crown Prosecutor, Crown Prosecution Service, United Kingdom Banker, Bank of Commerce, Trinidad and Tobago Master of Laws (Commercial) London School of Economics Bachelor of Laws University of London The Empowerment Project Experience Post graduate education and training in the law, with valuable experience on the frontline of the Criminal Justice System including almost eight years prosecution experience at the Crown Prosecution Service and the Criminal Courts, and operational experience with advising Teams at New Scotland Yard. Devised and successfully delivered this series of workshops and has conducted mentoring, motivational speaking and awareness raising sessions at Youth Clubs and Community Centres around London. Direct contacts with officers of the Met Police at ranks of Constable, Sergeant, and Inspector. Guidance and mentoring experience with black young adults. The Empowerment Project Skills Strong professional, administrative, managerial, and creative skills. Resolute adherence to good governance, accounting and auditing best practices. Devising and implementing new and improved working arrangements and innovative projects. Unique skill set that is critical to the effective leadership and delivery of the objectives of Code Red Empowerment. Established Consulting firm Calvin Wilson and Associates, which offers strategic and public affairs advice to governments and the private sector globally, on anti-money laundering and combatting the financing of terrorism issues, and on preventing trans-national criminal gangs from preying on young people. Founded The Empowerment Project The Empowerment Project Books Author of the book “Voices from Violence. A Woman’s Journey to Self-Healing” which is presented to audiences in the Readers Theatre format by CODE RED Ensemble, as an advocacy vehicle to empower young girls and women and to sensitise boys and men in order to reduce or eliminate the level of violence globally. Desilu Banton desilu banton I was born in Dulwich Hospital, East Dulwich Grove,SE22 3PT, on 11th December 1961. I began my life in a house at 102 Railton Road, Herne Hill,SE24 OET, on the ‘Front Line’ of ‘Brixton’, London. What I remember most of my childhood is drawing, drawing all the time, every opportunity. My father loved music and loved to dance. We would dance together. My mother designed clothes and was a dressmaker and cake baker. My parents had arrived in England in 1954 from Jamaica and lived in the Brixton area. They lived on Concannon Road from around 1955 and moved to Railton Road in 1959 after they had wed at the church at Santley Street, around the corner of Concannon Road. Today I live by my painting and continue in my mothers’ and fathers’ legacy as a creator. I am open to producing works of art by commission. painting Painting is expression, a way of me talking with everybody else about how I feel, like a bluesman would play his blues. The whole thing is about feeling. Painting is blues. I paint those feelings that are from inside my head, from inside my soul. The spiritual part of all this is the heritage, the thing that comes from my ancestors, the ingredients that everybody talks about when they talk about the past, where we all come from, which is DNA, the genes. What I am doing is recording the memory that comes to me from nature, along with the music that came from West Africa and the Atlantic experience, all of it, and what I do then is give it form, give it some skin, textures and colours, the whole thing is like an umbilical cord that has not lost its life force, it is the whole nine yards. Jackie Burton Jackie Burton Born and raised in West Yorkshire, I took a trip to London in 1983 and have remained here since then. I am a black woman, a Christian and a mother. A retired Social Worker, I have a passion for children, young people and their families. Over the last 40 years I have had roles in church including youth leader and Pathfinder club leader as well as teaching in children’s Sabbath school & children’s church. It was my joy, to find the most creative and interesting ways to engage children and young people with so many varied learning styles. Over the last 12 years of my career I was a Team Leader for a local authority Fostering Service; having responsibility for facilitating training, assessing foster carers and placing children from diverse and challenging backgrounds with those carers. Life-long learning is part of who I am and I started becoming more interested in paper crafts when my now, 25 year old son was around 3 years old. We started to make cards for every occasion and stopped buying them from the shops. Paper crafts opened the door to so many other crafting pursuits and my love for crafting has only grown since then, from wedding decoration, decoupage & canvas art to knitting & simple sewing, I have done many and various and still do. Nothing pleases me more than sharing my love for something with others, and creative crafts is certainly one of those very many things. I have done this via children’s craft workshops; transforming spaces for Vacation Bible School (VBS); school holiday clubs; card making workshops for children and adults. If it includes crafting, I will consider it. Currently I am involved in a weekly Craft Café project where we are using hobby crafts to support people in our community who may be lonely, socially isolated or feeling low. Sr Josephine Udie MP, MSc, GC HDip, NP Reverend Sister, Steer Right Project Coordinator, Power Coach Expert, Health Care Professional Reverend Sister, Steer Right Project Coordinator, Power Coach Expert, Health Care Professional Sister Josephine is passionate about the dignity of the human person. As a trained Power Coach and Health Care professional, Sister enjoys using her skills to coach, support and empower children and families to become who they are meant to be. Steer Right is a charity for which Sister Josephine is Project Coordinator, uses the strap line Little help Big Difference to highlight the effectiveness of what a small amount of intervention can do. Amari Smith-Foster Amari Smith-Foster I am a mental health advocate and a student counsellor. I am extremely passionate about mental health and well-being. After battling with my own mental health, being sectioned at just 13 and becoming part of the system, I am using those same life experiences to help others overcome. My story, my pain and this rollercoaster of a journey has given me great insight to help others and make a change. Me speaking up and using my voice, allows so many others, old, young, male, and female to feel heard, to feel seen. Now I am in a position, I have promised myself , it is pivotal that I make a change for the mental health system. My social profiles: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/accounts/onetap/?next=%2F LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amari-smith-foster-26a68417b/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPMHXb5U40E0Zw1B3h4vcJg Please feel free to contact me should there be any issues. Norman Mine Norman Mine Norman Mine is an Italian-born London based multidisciplinary artist whose practice encompasses visual art, acting and social work. Using autobiographical scenarios as a starting point, Mine's practice expands into fantasy and delusion and in his alter-ego, Dino Desica, an aspiring Italian actor who exists only through a video format, as "performance to camera", becoming an ephemeral simulation of the self. Mine's practice explores the infinite possibilities of the self, the authenticity and the structures of inclusion and exclusion in which it is constructed. For the past three years Mine has run creative workshops co-working with people of different generations, backgrounds, and abilities; developing a specific approach that unsettles the scenario in which participants perform to stimulate creativity and imagination as an opportunity to navigate within. Mine has obtained a Masters Degree in Fine Art at Goldsmith College in 2018. His work has been shown at Performance Istanbul (2021), disORDER Live Collective (2020), Deptford X (2019), The Koppel Project (2019), Platform1 Gallery (2018), Art Night London (2017). He was a recipient of the DYCP grant, Art Council England (2021). In 2022 Mine has founded Norwood JunkAction, an eco-community art project based in Croydon, London. Diana Wilson Diana Wilson Diana Wilson is an Executive and Life Coach professional as well as a Psychodynamic Counsellor, who in parallel, has enjoyed a substantial career in Education and Training and Development across Schools and local Government. Diana is fluidly proficient in a myriad of modalities with a keen focus on Cognitive Behavioural Coaching. She offers leading-edge, inspirational coaching that stimulates thinking, accelerates transformation, and empowers clients to accomplish their aspirational goals. My social handles: Website: www.dwcoach.co.uk LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/diana-wilson-564a6941 Richmond Trew Richmond Trew A Professional Trainer/Workshop Facilitator with 25 years’ experience of working in communities and custodial settings nationally and internationally. He is also a recording & performing artist fronting the collective Abstract Word and currently has Publishing & Production contracts with (Peer Music LTD-MAP Music). Richmond also leads a group of free-lance Arts Practioners under the name of Journeyman Arts (Using the Arts to share & pass on Knowledge). He also Runs 492 Korna Klub next generation Ltd that runs live improvised drama weekly on Galaxy Radio.

HOPE Bereavement Support Group CIC

hope bereavement support group cic

HOPE Bereavement Support began in 2013 when the visionary and founder, Ansa, realised that there needed to be a place of safety and inclusion for all mothers who had sadly lost a baby to miscarriage, stillbirth or at any other stage of their child’s life. What was sorely needed was an accessible place where everyone would be able to find comfort and support for their loss; not feel alone or ostracised. She had a vision where everybody – regardless of age, sex, religion, ethnicity or any other difference – had the ability to access mental health and emotional support for their loss. Ansa’s ambition came from a painful journey; she is the proud mother of 9 rainbow children. Her determination to succeed grew after she struggled to find a suitable support group after her losses. During her healing process she became more empowered and went back to study, changing her career path to become a qualified and registered counsellor and Training Consultant. There was at that time very limited multi-lingual counselling services available, and furthermore, it was very expensive and the clinical models applied did not feel culturally diverse or sensitive to BME therapeutic needs. HOPE Bereavement Support initially started with three trustees (the founder, a secretary and a treasurer) as a small constituted community group in Leeds, setting up bereavement support groups run by befrienders and volunteers for women and families to meet after suffering the loss of a child. Over 7 years on, the organisation is now running support services in Leeds, Bradford and London and specialises in all types of bereavement. We have a team of over 30 people consisting of qualified counsellors, coaches, an occupational therapist, clinical supervisors and many befrienders and volunteers. All staff members are based nationally in different parts of the UK working together remotely. Our services: Counselling Coaching Bereavement support groups Mental health and emotional wellbeing resilience workshops Educational and awareness building workshops Training and consultancy Research Media We also have service delivery partnership projects with Touchstone Staff Counselling and Touchstone ‘Blossom’ (Female Genital Mutilation) counselling: https://touchstonesupport.org.uk/ Our CEO Ansa E Ahmed has been nominated for the Positive Role Model (Race, Faith and Religion) Award at the National Diversity Awards 2021 “I was overwhelmed by receiving this nomination for the award, however, I feel and I believe that my HOPE team and organisation are well-deserved of this nomination and that this will be the first of many to come because we are a blackled organisation aiming to fulfil the short-comings in our national services in providing better health outcomes for our black communities nationwide. As the founder and CEO of HOPE services I feel very proud and overwhelmed with how much support, passion and dedication I have found in the people who have joined my organisation. When speaking and networking with other third sector and national organisations and their leaders, I was gratefully humbled for the respect given to our organisation in terms of what HOPE has to offer in fulfilling the need of our BAME communities access to mental health services in their own languages, and with our culturally inclusive person-centred approach towards each individual who accesses our services. Furthermore, I do not believe there is any other organisation that has achieved what we have in a short time as a Community Interest Company (CIC). This again is a testimony to the great BAME leaders from my board of directors, managers, supervisors and clinical practitioners that for me as a black leader I am proud to have alongside me as a driving force for HOPE. It feels like a lifetime ago when my career changed from the corporate field of working in the banking industry for 15 years of my life, I was able with my initiative and work ethic dedication to move up the management ladder to a customer service focused area manager role. So, therefore leading, motivating, coaching others from a leadership role comes very natural to me in my skill set as a CEO, but what really drives me is the passion and belief in compassion for all of humanity and this makes my job as CEO of HOPE very rewarding. From a personal development aspect I feel a winner as I am not only helping and giving back to my communities in the services that we provide in HOPE but also that I am helping my fellow BAME professionals nationwide who choose to join HOPE in their journey and development in furthering their career as BAME leaders within their respective fields of works. It has always been my mission statement as an individual and now as the head of the HOPE organisation that where possible I want to fight against stigma, shame, prejudice and racism in all its forms always with a heart full of compassion, love for humanity and kindness for all. I believe that true leadership is leading by example but also alongside helping your aspiring leaders. Your vote for me and HOPE would mean so much to us all, thank you 🙂 ”

Sew Creative

sew creative

Altrincham

Hi I’m Kate, I set up Sew Creative in 2016, however a lot of my customers are often surprised to hear that I haven’t always loved sewing - in fact I even paid one of my friends to sew my Year 7 Textiles project for me, then ditched the subject as soon as I was allowed in the following year! I eventually learnt to sew when I made the decision to study Fashion Design in Manchester. After my degree I worked in the fashion industry in both London and New York, before heading back up North to train to be a Textiles teacher and settle in Altrincham. Whilst teaching, I started to advertise sewing classes - it was originally just a way to earn a little extra money. I started on a table in Hobbycraft with a couple of old machines and some bits and pieces from my personal fabric stash. I sat there for several weeks, with no customers or interest, and was about to give up when Sue (now a member of staff!), my first ever customer, approached me asking if I’d teach her how to make her own patterns - and Sew Creative was born! Alex MANAGER Alex joined the Sew Creative team having left teaching in February 2020, just two weeks before the first National Lockdown! When she was a teacher, she taught social science, so sewing was a bit of a change! Alex sews most of her own clothes and can usually be found wearing at least one me-made item in store during the week. Alex teaches our adult classes as well as our teenagers. She is also the shop’s manager, so if you need anything, she is always happy to help! You can find her on Instagram @sewalexfaye "My favourite thing about being able to sew is making things that fit me properly. I'm almost 6ft tall so finding ready to wear trousers and dresses the right length has always been a challenge.Now I just make them to fit my body rather than the other way around!" Dawn TUTOR Dawn has been with us at Sew Creative for two years now and has become the heart and soul of the shop. Dawn is our resident neat-freak so she keeps us all nice and ship-shape. Dawn has been sewing for years and regularly makes herself gorgeous dresses and coats. Dawn can be found teaching our adults on a Tuesday and our Saturday classes. She is warm of heart and always up for a good natter! Jayne TUTOR Jayne joined Sew Creative in September 2020, in the midst of a Global Pandemic has has taken the rollercoaster ride like a true pro. Jayne’s career has been in lingerie design and she has worked with some of the biggest names in the biz! Jayne sews her won clothes, and loves making tailored trousers, she is always the picture of sophistication! Jayne works most weekdays and every other Saturday, teaching our kids and adult classes. She also teaches our Monday night adult lesson! George CHIEF EXECUTIVE George is the newest and most adorable member of the Sew Creative team. He’s not old enough to sew yet, but can often be found in the shop sporting a mum-made outfit. You’ll also find his full modelling portfolio on Instagram, where you are guaranteed a regular dose of cuteness. He keeps Eric and Dotty very busy and despite being so small, is always the centre of attention! We’re all convinced he’ll be the next Patrick Grant! Eric HEAD OF SECURITY Hi, I’m Eric. I can often be found guarding the front door at Sew Creative. While I might look big, tough and scary, I am actually quite a lovely chap. I love treats, cuddles, any food that you might be eating, and more cuddles. Please feel free to pick me up and cuddle me, instead of doing any sewing. I look forward to meeting you soon. Thank you. Dotty THE DUCHESS Hi, I’m Dotty. I am pretty shy, but if you’re quiet and gentle I will come for some cuddles. I can often be found sleeping in my basket, or following my Mum around - just to make sure that she’s still there! Volunteers and Party Facilitators In addition to our part and full time members of staff, Sew Creative also has a team of amazing volunteers who help us out every week. Lisa, Sue , Catherine and Liz can be found lending a helping hand in our kids and adults classes, alongside some of our teen sewers who give up their precious weekends to work with us! If you book a party with us, you will almost certainly meet our lovely party facilitators. Evie and Daisy have been sewing with us for years and as they have grown up, have proven themselves to be very capable seamstresses. Both ladies are excellent with kids and adults alike!

Zeba's Legacy

zeba's legacy

An idea sparked during the Middle East boom in the late 70s… It was a time of lucrative trade, a fast-paced world with minds and hearts brimming with ambition. There was a gap in the market…there was space for something different. The modern and global nature of contemporary design needed a warm human touch. Through long nights spent in thought and reflection, Zeba was born. The Persian word Zebaish, meaning beautiful, came to mind. It was exotic, filled with mystery, culture and of course, beauty. This is where our legacy began…a legacy that was born to grow and evolve for the rest of time. Zeba was put in place to cater to the need for contemporary design married with style and culture. We started with creating traditional carpets and dhurries in historic and transitional designs and colours. This endeavour, started with good fortune which led to the setting up of our stunning factory in Mirzapur, Uttar Pradesh. In order to be true to our theme and idea of mystery, intrigue and culture, we built a magnificent Haveli to be the heart of our production. It is a one of a kind factory, and surely, it has played a huge role in our growth and success. Along this journey, we found ourselves gravitating towards adding a home textile range to the carpet and dhurrie offerings, thereby, allowing us to provide our customers with a coordinated look, and products by themselves. This again, allowed us to fill another gap in the market…We now satisfied the needs of dressing entire spaces with styles and pieces that were created to complement each other. Steadily, Zeba was growing. Our teams expanded, our reach broadened, our ideas multiplied and finally Zeba was coming into her own. If the question were asked, ‘What is Zeba?’, the answer could not be a simple one… " Zeba is the relentless pursuit of finesse that draws energy from an infinite pool of ever evolving creativity. It is timeless, as charming as yesterday, as forward looking as tomorrow. Zeba is our soul. And, it’s yours to bring home when you so desire." Sujata & Rajan Mehta Zeba is Disruptive Zeba is built to disrupt old school distribution models with its vertically integrated operation—from concept to customer. This becomes possible because we disregard the conventional model of having separate manufacturers, distributor, retailers etc. Every product and design is personal to us, stitched in place with strong and durable threads of passion and humble ambition. With our disruptive innovation and thought, we have created a new market and value network that will eventually disrupt and displace established market norms. We do not rely on any external entities to get our work done, we are self-sufficient. Zeba is Direct There is no outsourcing of labour, every product and project we take on is executed from start to finish by our own people, in-house. This way, we are completely in the loop and in control of every aspect of production, allowing us to have high quality home-wear at down-to-earth prices. The quality of what we create is of utmost importance to us, our products last for a long long time. Zeba Cares Integrity is woven into the fabric of our company, credibility and trust are the most important values of our brand. Reviving and preserving the great skills of Indian artisans is one of our prime focuses. We have a team of incredibly skilled Indian craftsmen who work with us, and help us breathe life into our designs. In an attempt to do our bit for the planet, we ensure to also use sustainable fabrics in our collections. All our fabrics are sourced locally from mills across the country as our effort to keep the Indian textile industry alive. It is important to us that everything we do and offer is overflowing good intentions, good vibes, and of course, great quality. Zeba is Nimble and Dynamic Zeba is flexible and constantly on the go, evolving with the world and various market demands and needs. We are not limited in thought, we thrive on new ideas and perspectives, always working towards a goal. Every day brings a new challenge and we look forward to taking it on! Our customers can dream and we can create it, nothing is impossible. We are not limited to certain spaces or certain niches. We can design any space, anywhere in the world, to fit any budget. Describing Zeba is a mission to last a very long time. There is no one way to describe the all-encompassing nature of what makes Zeba what it is today. It is an abstract concept, while also a very structured and tangible idea. Zeba dares to dream and is fuelled by an undying passion. Zeba is always growing, with new people, ideas, values and ambitions. Zeba was born out of love and is growing to spread it.

Feelgood Theatre Productions

feelgood theatre productions

London

Founded by Artistic Director Caroline Clegg Feelgood have been creating award winning theatre since 1994 fusing the unusual with the imaginative - classical texts and ground breaking new commissions at traditional and site specific venue. A cappella singing and drumming, Shakespeare and African dance, abseiling, pyrotechnics and fire sculpting with music and drama - in parks, cliff tops, garden centres, African townships, museums and traditional theatres, national tours and West End transfers. We have distinguished ourselves with an array of acclaimed shows following our spectacular launch with the musical Our Girls in 1994, where the audience lined the runway at Barton Aerodrome and looked on in awe as a World War II bomber landed to disembark the cast. We have followed that with 24 years of incredible productions: Blue Remembered Hills, Pictures at An Exhibition, (Mussorgsky), La Boheme (Puccini), Wind in the Willows, Robin Hood, The Wizard of Oz, Rosa, The Three Musketeers, Dracula - The Blood Count, Arthur - King of the Britons, Macbeth and A Midsummer Night’s Dream, national tours and West End transfers of Not About Heroes, and we were honoured to be presented to HM The Queen and HRH Duke of Edinburgh at the opening of The Lowry theatre where we opened our production of Crystal Clear followed by The Wizard Of Oz, which sold out for their first Christmas show. Integral to each production is our commitment to making innovative education and community programmes. In 2007, Artistic Director Caroline Clegg and the company were awarded the prestigious Horniman Award at the Manchester Evening News Awards for their outstanding contribution to live theatre. They also hold the Angel Award for Artistic Excellence and Caroline was awarded the John Thaw Fellowship at the University of Manchester in honour of her companies work. In 2002 we developed Romeo & Juliet - Thando & Ruvhengo a riveting multi-cultural production made in Bulawayo Zimbabwe and performed in Bulawayo, Harare and Manchester as part of the Culture Shock Commonwealth Games programme. The journey was made into an award-winning documentary. In 2009 we collaborated in Manchester with the thrilling company exiled from Zimbabwe Theatre Under Fire to create our incredibly moving Macbeth in Heaton Park. In 2010 the world premiere of Slave - A Question of Freedom (the story of Mende Nazer) followed a trajectory of thrilling work from Africa that aims to celebrate the joy of diversity and raise awareness of modern slavery. It won the Pete Postlethwaite Best New Play Award and the Inaugural Human Trafficking Foundation Media Award which was presented at No 10 Downing Street. It was also performed in the House of Lords to aid the Nuba Mountains Solidarity campaign to highlight not only slavery in Sudan but the continued persecution of the Nuba people. In 2014 on the 100th anniversary of the outbreak of the Frist World War we followed in the footsteps of Wilfred Owen and Siegfried Sassoon went on an 18 venue national and European tour of Not About Heroes. We began at Craiglockhart War Hospital and toured across the UK to places pertinent to them both including La Maison Forestiers – (the Foresters House) in Ors France where Wilfred Owen spent his last few days before a 5 week residency beginning on the 11th of November at the Trafalgar Studios in the West End. The same year Feelgood were honoured with a second Lord Mayor's Civic Reception for our dedication to the arts. Alongside this tour we also created an international poetry competition to raise awareness of PTSD. Workshops took place at Catterick Garrison and in schools and community venues at our 18 venues culminating in a special winners award ceremony in 2015. Heaton Park is a special place for Feelgood. We used to tour our summer open-air shows across the country and went to Heaton in 1998 where we performed for 11 yrs. After a gap of 9 years we returned in May 2016 with Whispers of Heaton. We presented two new immersive site-specific commission plays, The Bugler and The Fight to commemorate the Battle of the Somme and the Manchester Pals regiments in Heaton Hall and Park. This announced our return to Heaton, the place we love to call our spiritual home and where we are now the Official Theatre Partner with Manchester City Council. In the summer of 2017 we brought back our open-air promenade productions with A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The park is a unique place with hundreds of stories to tell and we aim to reveal them as we re-ignite a passion for culture in the park. Our long term vision which we announced at a special dinner hosted by our sponsor PZ Cussons on November 14th 2017 is to build a theatre in the park. We are in year two of our vision development which is called ‘Field of Dreams’. We are undertaking a feasibility study in consultation with Manchester City Council in line with their new Manchester Park Strategy. We hope a Feelgood Theatre in the Park will be a cultural space for world class theatre, music, dance and open air activities. Heaton Park is cherished by so many and our aim is that we build a lasting legacy to ensure that theatre can be accessed by everyone.

Her Next Chapter

her next chapter

Leamington Spa

Tenacious. Terrific. Trustworthy. Truthful. And sometimes Trouble. When you ask my family, friends and coworkers about me, they will probably list these attributes. Or qualities. For good and for bad. I am the only child to my mother Grace and my father Ken who met in Blackpool, England during the Second World War, which means much of my family resides in England. Including my daughter who met my son-in-law during her junior year abroad at Oxford University. I grew up not knowing that my mother had an accent, never understanding the difference between English and American terminology so that even today I will say a word and people will look perplexed, and I realize I am using the English word and not the American one. I’m an only child because my parents decided traveling back to England would be very difficult with more children. My father made a point to keep me from being spoiled which was a double-edged sword because his lack of praise left me with a feeling that I had to try twice as hard as anyone else just to keep up. The end result is one very motivated woman, and I constantly seek continued learning and new challenges. My first words were undoubtedly “When are you going to give me a horse?” and thus Patience Prize and I became a team when I was 14. My father once again made sure I knew the horse was not to be taken for granted when he said, “Now you’ve got a horse, you’d better get a job. And you won’t be paid for mowing the lawn anymore.” My love of animals produced my first job at the local veterinarians cleaning up cages and feeding animals. One small dog had broken her two front legs, was terribly vicious, and no one could touch her. After her surgery she was crammed up in a corner while still asleep, and I moved her into a more comfortable position and, of course, petted her and spoke to her. After that I was the only one who could open her cage and touch her without getting bitten. She must have known my smell. Years passed and I became both a photojournalist and regular journalist with local Berkshire County Massachusetts newspapers. When I returned to college to complete my bachelor’s degree, my journalism provided me with life experience credits and thus I completed my BA in English. What to do next? I had student loans, so I needed either grad school or a second job. My daughter waitressed at a local restaurant open only on weekends and they said they needed a dishwasher, so she said, “My brother needs a job.” Then they asked, “So who else do you have at home?” and she said, “My mom.” Thus, I tried the second job routine as a waitress. We served wine in long-stemmed glasses and carried them on a tray. During one shift I was at a table of two women and the tray started to tilt, and I couldn’t stop it! So, I stood there and watched the wine glasses crash down on the table and splash everywhere. It was not a happy time for all involved. So, I said, “That’s it, I’m going to grad school.” I took my daughter and son to see Phantom of the Opera on Broadway, we ate at the Russian Tea Room, and I told them they couldn’t bug me for two years. The non-traditional program at Vermont College of Norwich University was a full-time program so I had a full-time job, a full-time grad school program, a son in high school and a daughter in college. During my internship I worked 7:00 a.m. to noon, drove to Albany, New York (a one-hour drive one way), worked at a public relations firm from 1:00 to 6:00 and stopped at the restaurant where my two offspring worked about 7:00 for a glass of wine and a light dinner. Then I realized I didn’t have time to clean the bathroom, so I hired a cleaning lady (very inexpensive in a small town back then) and decided that was an expense associated with grad school. That was a valuable decision. The downside of a small town is that a master’s degree doesn’t allow for many jobs at a living wage. I decided I would move. After networking for several years and finding a church in Washington, DC I moved to northern Virginia on October 2, 1999, never having lived more than 6 miles from where I was born. I got a job the second day. I bought a house that January and a horse, Sonny Madison, in January 2001 and have never regretted my choice or looked back. At some point in 2018 I found Her Nexx Chapter and started writing for them. It provides me with a chance to get in touch with my creative style since my most prevalent job has been a technical writer. Now I’m also the Editorial Project Director and a member of the Advisory Board. It’s a tremendous value to women everywhere, and I always enjoying learning something new and sharing my blogs with the community. So here I am. I’m still horseback riding and trying to keep fit. I try to look for the positive side of life even in times of turmoil – notice I said “try” because sometimes life gets to be a tad difficult. But that’s my story and I’m sticking to it!