Creative Doodle Book: Developing Inclusive Community Arts Engagement during Physical Distancing

The disruption caused by Covid19 has forced community arts companies to drastically adapt their activities. This has been particularly impactful on organisations working with marginalised or vulnerable people, many without the social or economic capital to access digital arts activities. During 'normal' times, the arts have a vital role in supporting resilience through providing opportunities for positive creative expression. During the Covid19 crisis, it is even more vital to find ways for everyone to express their creativity in community contexts. This project will adapt and extend the 'Creative Doodle Book', a hands-on resource developed by the project PI and Mind the Gap Theatre Company (MTG) in 2019. Through a series of playful tasks and activities, the Doodle Book facilitates creative reflection designed to support personal agency. During May 2020, MTG successfully piloted the at-a-distance delivery of the Doodle Book during lockdown with their network of learning-disabled artists. Building on these positive early indicators, this project will work with MTG, and access champions Totally Inclusive People, to develop the Doodle Book as a model of inclusive physically distanced practice. In a blended approach, this will be accompanied by adaptive support and accessible resources to reach individuals otherwise excluded from digital arts activities. We will work in collaboration with twenty community arts groups, and adopt a train-the-trainer approach to provide a structure that can be expanded at scale. The project will also provide evidence of the role of creativity in wellbeing and personal agency in times of extreme uncertainty.