Young ‘artists in training’ get creative in Camden
Hundreds of disabled youngsters in Camden will explore their creative side thanks to new funding for an art project running in the borough.
The Artist in Training programme is run by the charity PACE – Play, Adventure and Community Enrichment – based at Fairfield Playcentre, in Camden Town.
Visiting artists run workshops on techniques such as painting, ceramics, textiles and creating artwork from junk materials, with the children’s art displayed in an annual exhibition.
The scheme is being funded with a £64,000 grant from City Bridge Trust – the City of London Corporation’s charity funder.
City of London Corporation City Bridge Trust Committee Chairman Dhruv Patel said:
“The Artist in Training programme is a fantastic way of allowing children with a range of complex needs to explore their creativity, make friends and learn new skills.
“We’re delighted to be able to support a scheme which has real and lasting benefits to hundreds of children in Camden and their families.”
The programme will run 10 sets of sessions throughout the year for the two years of the City Bridge Trust funding, each focusing on a different artistic style.
PACE Chief Operating Officer Henry Purkis said:
“The children who take part in these sessions not only develop their artistic skills but also things like communication and self-confidence, through taking part in challenging activities that our outside their comfort zone.
“They love the sessions and are really proud of the art they produce, and their parents are always amazed by the work their children do and grateful for the support and the extra respite it provides them with.”
Any families in Camden with a child with a disability they think would benefit from taking part is asked to contact Angela Ramos for more information by emailing[email protected]
More information is available online atwww.paceforall.com
The City of London Corporation’s charity funder, City Bridge Trust, is London’s biggest independent grant giver, making grants of over £25 million a year to tackle disadvantage across the capital –www.citybridgetrust.org.uk
Case studies
Esmeralda Perez, aged 10, from Camden has been attending the programme since 2018. Her mother, Margarita Herrera Cortez, is delighted that the City Bridge Trust’s funding will enable the Artist in Training programme to continue.
She said: “My daughter has special needs. She enjoys this programme so much and her talking has improved. It’s really important to her and I’m glad she can continue.”
Picture captions
01 – Esmeralda Perez (right) with Angela Ramos, play centre manager
02 – Esmeralda Perez (right) with Jane Guerin
03 / 04 – Esmeralda Perez has been attending sessions since 2018
Notes to editors
The City of London Corporation is the governing body of the Square Mile dedicated to a vibrant and thriving City, supporting a diverse and sustainable London within a globally-successful UK –www.cityoflondon.gov.uk
The City Corporation’s charity funder, City Bridge Trust, has allocated £15.5 million to the London Community Response, set up to help charities deal with the impact of coronavirus, and has also given over £1.7 million in one-off grants to 202 organisations it already supports to help them offset lost income resulting from the pandemic.
The London Community Response Fund is administered by City Bridge Trust, the funding arm of Bridge House Estates. The City of London Corporation is the sole trustee of Bridge House Estates and Members of its Court of Common Council form the City Bridge Trust Committee, responsible for taking grant and funding decisions for the charity.
Tim Fletcher | Media officer – public services
City of London Corporation
07738 862229 |[email protected]
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