Junction Arts is a participatory arts organisation based in the district of Bolsover, North East Derbyshire. We have been delivering in the district for over 30 years. Our primary aim is to increase and extend access to high quality arts through inspirational innovative participatory arts programmes and projects through partnership and collaboration within the rural areas of the East Midlands.
We believe that the arts changes peoples lives, builds confidence, self-esteem, increases communication and supports community and personal empowerment.
Junction Arts is a charity delivering participatory arts in the Chesterfield/ Bolsover District, one of the cold spots for arts and Culture in the Arts Council review.
Junction Arts will increase and extend access to high quality arts through inspirational innovative participatory arts programmes and projects through partnership and collaboration within rural areas of the East Midlands.

AIMS
The key aims of the organisation are to:

• Ensure active involvement and ownership in the artistic process by individuals and communities through high-quality artistic interaction by and with artists.

• Deliver partnership-determined programmes and projects, which are relevant and distinctive to participants, situation and place.

• Promote projects and programmes that have longer-term impact for individuals and communities.

• Work with artists of the highest quality, integrity and calibre in order to deliver innovatory programmes that challenge, break new artistic ground and push the boundaries of existing practice.

Every year we carry out community projects involving local communities to build confidence and social cohesion whilst producing a high level of art. We have a full and diverse programme of activity and deliver arts projects to all ages and abilities. We also have a volunteer programme and are working on a volunteer strategy and recruitment process. Projects include:

Limestone Journeys: Our role is to engage people and places through creative participation and establish a body of work to include workshops, performances, digital activity, events, lectures, exhibitions, residencies and commissions. We will deliver 18 distinct projects from 2011 to 2015 using a range of artists and art disciplines to explore new ways of looking at the landscape.

Rural Routes: The concept provides an understanding of what it means to live and go to school in a rural environment, and research how young people in other countries have very different experiences. This takes the form of a creative survey enabling young people to research rural school journeys in other parts of the world and assess/describe their own personal journey through survey questions, self-portraits and individual maps. It aims to bring new knowledge and pride to communities by recognising the significance of living in a rural environment and awareness of different cultures and ‘journeys’.
Rural Living: The Rural Living Programme is an opportunity for Junction Arts to attend events at historical visitor sites through the region and deliver arts activities. The activity is usually site specific and is used to engage the public in artistic activity whilst also raising awareness and stimulating dialogue about creativity and the work of Junction Arts.

Sidelinez: Sidelinez provides an opportunity for all teams from any sport to work with an artist to add a creative dimension to their team or club. The programme is designed to work in an arts, sport and health context with a range of participants from all ages and backgrounds.

Combine: Farming Heritage| East Midlands. Combine is an innovative creative heritage project aiming to capture and promote the people, places and traditions that define the regions rich agricultural past. Combine will bring together a mixture of artists and young people to research, record and share these unique histories with local communities and the wider public.

Old School: The project will look at themes of change and transition initially involving pupils and staff as they move to a new school building. The project will include audio interviews, photographic and archive records, posters, artefacts and press articles to form a representative school museum collection. An exciting exhibition will showcase the work of the pupils. The exhibition will include archive and contemporary photographs, objects and artefacts and film screenings in the new school and other local venues to celebrate the old and herald in the new. Pupils from Stubbin Wood Special School and Shirebrook Academy have participated in the project, which will be rolled out to other schools across the region.
Bright Winter Nights: This project aims to create new artistic winter celebrations and support existing traditions that bring together communities. In partnership with other agencies, we will produce events and projects that benefit the wider community and visitors to the area and region.
Make:CREATE (Rural Creative Workshops): Each year Junction Arts will work in partnership with isolated rural communities in Derbyshire to deliver programmes of art and craft activities as identified by the participants.
Youth Film Project: Junction Arts are working with disadvantaged young people to produce a short film about issues that affect them.

Participatory Digital Arts
From 2012 we will undertake projects that explore the creative impact of computers, new technology and digital culture on rural communities. Through partnering with sector specialists and linking with current activity, such as the Sheffield Annual Festival of Digital Creativity & Culture, we will develop an action plan and pilot activity prior to a series of participatory digital arts projects in rural communities.

Community Media
From 2012 onwards we will deliver a programme of activity that uses community radio, television, community based independent filmmakers, internet and digital and social media groups to create and deliver innovative arts content, enhance participation in the artistic process and promote engagement with the arts. We will begin by identifying rural community groups who have an artistic expression that can form the basis of a regular radio broadcast and stream regular broadcasts.
Arts & Gaming

Through building collaborations with HE/FE institutions we will investigate the artistic processes involved in producing video games. Using the video game as the engagement tool we will work with children and young people in rural communities to explore the art forms involved including illustration, design, literature, story telling etc. Through collaborating with HE/FE institutions this work can then be developed into actual game play through modules developed by students.

The Team

Junction Arts team staff:

Paul Steele Managing Director

Ami Aubrey Comms and Admin Coordinator

Jane Wells Project Coordinator

Aly Stoneman Project Coordinator

Rachael Lewis Administration Officer

Ruth Warren Finance officer