Creating Community Engagement At Local Level Through Craft & Art
Community Engagement at a local level is the buzz right now Everywhere I go I hear that this is the best way to get to the hardest to reach people groups. I hear about professional practice, skills based learning & Service Users
If you really want to engaged with the hardest to reach people my BIGGEST piece of advice to you is DROP THE JARGON! Seriously, if you want to people to respond to you, you need to meet them where they are at, not where you are at. I'm probably teaching you to suck eggs at this point, but bear with me.
For the past two years I've been meeting real people, in real situations & coming up with real solutions. I was determined to start Shelbyart from the bottom up & so found ways to engage with my local community, right where I am. Many of you will not know, but I'm a Mum of six. Two of our boys have severe & complex needs, but my husband & I have now been married 23 years despite all of the challenges we have faced. I know what it is like to live on benefits, through no choice of my own. I know how the systems seem to be against you & how getting relevant information for your situation is an uphill struggle. Being a carer at the best of times can be difficult.
However what I have found is that accessing CRAFT is a massive to benefit to all ages & abilities!!! It is not the final destination, but it is a step onto personal development path.
So how do I engage with people. It's not rocket science...I get to know them. Relationship is the single most important way to get alongside people. So where do you meet these people? I hear you ask. The answer may be shocking.....or maybe not...on Social Media! That's where people hang out these days!!!
How do you do that with craft?
Well some of the techniques I have used are
- CREATING GROUPS & RUNNING EVENTS THROUGH THEM & ASKING PEOPLE TO ADD THEIR FRIENDS.
- SETTING UP A FACEBOOK PAGE AND ASKING PEOPLE TO FOLLOW
- TALKING TO PEOPLE ABOUT WHAT KINDS OF CRAFTS THEY WOULD LIKE TO ACCESS
Here are three tips to get you started BUT THERE ARE MANY MORE!
So my advice to you is drop the jargon & get REAL with people. The less corporate the better. I ALSO HAVE ONE MORE TIP FOR YOU! I have a secret weapon TIME CREDITS These have made engagement much more fun & rewarding on soooooooo many levels. Check it out!
So has this been useful? I would love to hear your feedback, because changing peoples lives for the better is what I do! Get in touch & leave your comments! Love Shell x
Our Community In The Botanic Gardens Earning Time Credits For A Community Project