The Artists’ Residencies in Care Homes project is a key strand of Magic Me’s current and future strategic plans. Funding from players of the People’s Postcode Lottery has enabled the charity to develop projects for the east of England and ARCH is the first major piece of work to result from this.  Funded by Paul Hamlyn Foundation (with support from Essex County Council) ARCH enables Magic Me’s strategic growth in the east of England, building relationships with key care providers and commissioners and locally based arts partners, curious directive and Gecko, and also brings into the mix two organisations with strong links to the east of England: New Adventures and Fevered Sleep.  As well as exploring new territory geographically the project enables Magic Me to take forward another key aim of supporting other arts organisations to create work in and for care homes, to help facilitate new relationships between arts organisations and care providers, and to raise expectations of what the arts can be and do in care homes.

“The Creative Journeys project has already shown how the arts play a crucial role in helping relationships between care home residents, staff and relatives to flourish and can break down boundaries between those people living in care homes and their surrounding communities. 

We’re delighted that as a result of Creative Journeys, Magic Me are now working across care homes in Essex through this new round of Artists’ Residencies.”

Councillor Susan Barker, Essex County Council’s Cabinet Member for Customer, Corporate, Culture and Communities

You can read more about our work on the Creative Journey’s project here

Featured image shows Magic Me’s director, Susan Langford, speaking at the Creative Journey’s showcase.