Thanks to Caroline for this report from Friday’s celebrations. It was great to see and hear about the valuable work of this charity. Ed
Island charity Independent Arts marked its 25th anniversary in style with a party at Newclose Cricket Club, Shide.
Independent Arts is a small, unique registered charity, established in 1987.
The organisation provides a range of therapeutic creative arts activities and projects for disadvantaged people living on the Isle of Wight – particularly those with learning difficulties, disabilities, and the elderly.
Fantastic projects across the Island
Many residential homes across the Island benefit from the Workshops for Wellbeing programme, which delivers sessions in music, reminiscence, movement, visual art and storytelling.
Independent Arts also delivers the popular SingAbout project, providing weekly singing for wellbeing sessions in Newport, Ryde, Freshwater and Ventnor, and the Memory Mornings project, which delivers reminiscence sessions in the community.
Great turnout of supporters
The party was attended by a good mixture of supporters, past and present, practitioners, trustees and representatives from care homes. Entertainment was provided by some of the music practitioners who work with Independent Arts, and guests were invited to draw their own self-portrait to be used to create a larger piece of art later this year.
The celebration was funded by a donation from the late Peter Thipthorp’s memorial. Peter was a long-standing trustee of Independent Arts who died in 2010. His widow, Wendy, continues to support the charity and attended the event.
“Independent Arts does such valuable work”
Wendy Varley, Chair of Trustees, said: “I’ve been involved with Independent Arts only since 2009 and it’s been fantastic in this 25th anniversary year to learn more about its history and meet people who were there at the beginning.
“Independent Arts does such valuable work. The creative sessions in care homes, and the community SingAbout sessions I’ve observed have been inspiring. My dad’s been in a nursing home in Yorkshire through ill-health this year. The most creative thing he’s been offered is a game of bingo, and I’ve really wished that an organisation like Independent Arts was working in his area.”
For more information on Independent Arts visit the website: www.independentarts.org.uk
