CV19 reflections - being apart together .

Tuesday the 23rd of March 2021, was a day of reflection. Time to think about the impact of the CV19 global pandemic. We have took time to think back over the last year.

Our reason for reflecting is not only remembrance, but to learn.
This year gave us a huge opportunity to learn how to do things differently and we have embraced this.

One year ago was about flipping things quickly. A week or two of stopping everything and starting other things, things that we would never have done.
We didn't spend hours developing strategies.. we talked, we asked questions we listened and we acted.

Our intention was to re-think our work, redesigning it so we could still continue to deliver, bringing our stakeholders, partners, beneficiaries, clients and funders with us.

We asked the people that we work with to step into their uncomfortable zone, learn new skills and apply them quickly.
Whilst, asking our customers to receive our activities in different ways and still pay for it.

Our response to CV19 was establishing the Boom Digital Hub, an idea previously not on our To Do list.
Over the past 12 months it has been a place where we have been able to bring people together to share experiences, to ask for help, to give help, to develop skills and to make art.
We have continued to deliver a range of creative and art activities, including outdoors activities, digital activities and IRL (in real life) workshops when we could.
We have engaged with 1404 people creating just under £8k.

As we came out of the first lockdown and as we come out of this one we are spreading the "bravery virus".
Or intention is that Boom Studios to be a leader for our wider community, being prepared to take the first steps back to reality, considering the risks to show how we can do things safely and sharing the thinking.

We want to continue to use our new skills to make what we do even better.
Using new places, creating space and creating confidence that it is ok to be with others again.

Hitting the pause button in Boom Studios has been a gift.
An opportunity to think about what we do, how we do and how we best serve our local creative sector and our community.
We want the learning we have taken away from the last year to stick.
Slow is OK.
Patience is OK.
Public money can help.
Listening is good
Experiments are awesome!
Working with risk is possible.
A space to play is valuable.
Overwhelm can be overcome.

This year was unlike any other and you supported us.
Our plate kept spinning because our artists showed up to their art practice, out arts and creative facilitators took a leap into digital delivery, you bought a place at a workshop, you signed up to do a community programme, you joined us outdoors for some fun and we are truly thankful for that.

Les Sharpe learning how to do things differently, delivering blended classes, online and IRL (in real life).

Asking our customers to come with us on a different type of Squiggles & Giggles adventure.

Carla Hodgson Art taking us outdoors.

Masked Macrame!

Rebecca from Drysdale Ceramic experimenting with online delivery.

Making art together.

Claire from Nodo Knots delivering online.