**Annual Report April 2021 – March 2022** Registered Charity No: 1157556 ## **Background and Who We Support** Flying Fish Artists (FFA) was initially formed in 2002, after members of a creative arts group in the occupational therapy workshop at Riverside Community Mental Health team base were invited to put on an exhibition for public viewing as part of the North Devon Festival. The exhibition was called ‘Hidden Talents’ because participants pulled beautiful sketches, paintings and stained glass out from under their beds for them to be carefully hung throughout the buildings. What a transformative event, celebrating so many different people’s strengths to create such an uplifting effect that it was decided to have a professional hanging system so that there could be rotating exhibitions of art work. If we were going to hold regular exhibitions, the group needed to have a name and so suggestions were voted on and Flying Fish Artists was born. FFA now operates as a small, Barnstaple based charity that, through using art as a creative and therapeutic means of recovery, supports people from anywhere across Torridge and North Devon region who wish to use art to help themselves in recovering from ill health. We support and inspire our members to tap into their creativity and produce artwork which integrates the members with the local community with exhibitions and events as well as accepting art commissions. Our work over the years, and particularly our regular studio sessions continue to help members to relieve the social isolation that so many of them felt prior to joining us. The regular meetings provide a welcoming and safe space for our members, where they feel comfortable and able to focus on bringing out their inner creativity and talent. 1 | P a g e ## **Our Trustees and Artists** Joyce Reed, Members Co-ordinator. Joyce enjoys dedicating a significant amount of time to supporting and assisting the well-being of all our members. She has been concerned in helping people to continue to feel connected during the multiple periods of lockdown. Her husband Chris and daughter Nicky have been enlisted to help out also-Chris as trips driver, guide and photographer and Nicky in the collating of newsletters, with her cat Comet keenly overseeing the home-printing of them. Martin Davies, Secretary. Martin looks after much of the administration in ensuring the smooth running of the operational workings of FFA. We are so very grateful for all of his continued help, many years of commitment and invaluable contribution. Jason Smith, Chairman. Jason ensures the smooth and efficient running of our board meetings which he continues to expertly host monthly for us on Zoom. We’re also thankful to him for overseeing the opening and setting-up of our weekly studio sessions, including between Christmas and New Year. Jason also runs a Wednesday group for members and led the Moorland View mural project which has been challenging due to Covid-restrictions. 2 | P a g e Carrie Clarke, Trustee. We are delighted to welcome Carrie back whom some members remember well from when she worked in North Devon and provided much encouragement and assistance as an artist herself with Flying Fish Artists forming many years ago. Fortunately for us, Carrie now has a bit more time to link-up with our group again. She was able to join us at Rosemoor for our visit, has been busy submitting grant-applications on our behalf and has joined all the Zoom trustees’ meetings to keep informed about the direction members wish to go in with developing their art. We’re very fortunate to have one of our artists, Julia Dredge, join our trustees. Julia is a versatile artist who has involved herself in all sorts of community projects including beautifully- painted flora and fauna celebrating the North Devon Biosphere on one of the life-size cows which formed part of the North Devon National Trust sculpture trail last summer. We were delighted when having been a participating artist submitting work for the Southbank Centre ArtbyPost project, Julia agreed to join us on our visit to the national exhibition in London, including giving an Artists’ Spotlight Talk. She also helped with the small documentary in our studio session when a small film-crew from ArtbyPost visited Flying Fish Artists in North Devon. Thank-you Julia. 3 | P a g e ## **Message from our Chairman: Our Review from April 2021** The past couple of years has been unprecedented for everyone; Flying Fish Artists adapted to ensure members Mental Health was still supported and prioritized, initially remotely – an even bigger challenge for many members. These changes that have evolved have seen us go from outdoor meetings to then later return to the studio whilst always making paramount the security and the respect of all members needs within the posted government's guidelines. The Art by Post initiative was embraced by many members. This encouraged us to create our own personal art within the concept of lock down and solitude. Later our input allowed for a very significant recognition with the South Bank Arts Centre London. Then a planned VIP experience trip to visit the Art by Post exhibition was offered to us. During the lock down Joyce Reed composed monthly newsletters to keep a connection between all Flying Fish members; including photos, paintings and poems that members had been busy creating alleviating the loneliness that we all felt. Trustees and members alike were very glad when we heard from Barnstaple Town Council that they were able to make available the hall in The Castle Centre for us to start holding weekly studio sessions again with safety precautions in place, starting in May 2021. With grants received from the Reconnect Rebuild Recover Fund from Devon County Council, we are able to invite Simon Ripley at Double Elephant in Exeter to deliver two Printmaking workshops. These workshops were so successful that many members who would shy away from creativity became captivated with the medium. Since being taught many printing methods Flying Fish members requested some funds to buy basic printmaking tools which has benefited and engaged us all. Art by Julia 4 | P a g e The Police and Crime Commissioner (Proceeds of Crime) Fund donation enabled group visits to Hakeford Woods, for a Wellbeing in Nature Day hosted by Stuart Young. Hakeford Woods remains a popular and a positive experience for members and future trips will be made available. Stuart looks forward to seeing us all again. North Devon Councillor's Community Fund has kindly awarded funds to help our charity with some of the costs of hall-hire for studio sessions and for the creation of a pop-up sound sanctuary for a quiet space during sessions for individuals to retreat whilst experiencing sensory-overload. This will allow people a space to provide comfort and time out to relax within the space of our art room. restrictions, however our four workshops are now concluded and we are on the final stages of the project towards completion. This growth of Flying Fish Artists through troubled times has inspired us all and as always it has helped us maintain our professional standing within the community. I would like to personally thank our trustees for all their work and dedication, Joyce, Martin, Carrie, and Julia. Torrington Cavaliers invited myself and Joyce to collect a cheque awarded to enable our group to make visits to Rosemoor RHS garden in Torrington. This was very gratefully received as was Torridge Community Transport’s help with getting us there. All these activities help our members to regain confidence in leaving their homes again to interact safely with others after lockdown, feel uplifted and rekindle their own creativity as a means of maintaining health and wellbeing as well as developing further expertise as artists in their own right. The mural project for Moorland View at our local hospital is ongoing, it has been a struggle due to government guidelines and Covid 5 | P a g e ## **Message from our Trustees: Mental Health Support during COVID** 2021 continued with further lockdowns, albeit shorter than the initial lockdown in 2020, and members had to ‘dig deep’. Everyone showed great courage facing ongoing heightened anxiety due to continuing daily news bulletins and uncertainty about Covid-19 infections. Isolation and loneliness were very hard to bear when already battling with ill-health particularly for those suffering the loss of loved ones at the same time as a reduction in community services. So, we did our best to keep everyone connected with outdoor meetups mostly in Rock Park or outside cafes when possible, just to have the opportunity to talk face to face and encourage each other with the ongoing isolation. Some members had to shield and not go out for a very long time so any contact via WhatsApp chat, phone calls, weekly emails, the Artbypost creativity booklets and the newsletters were welcome. The Southbank Centre’s ArtbyPost outreach project encouraged members to make sketches, write poetry, make collages, make music, paint and send what they had done to London by freepost or email to share with others. The team in London also sought permission from four of our members, with back-up from our trustees, to send a professional photographer to take portrait photographs of them standing outside their homes holding a piece of their artwork and one of our members agreed to being interviewed for a more in-depth article which was published Art by Bryan 6 | P a g e describing how art has helped through difficult times of ill-health particularly during Lockdown. In September, there was a national exhibition at The Southbank Centre in London and five of our artists were chosen out of over 400 entries to have their work shown. Four members were joined by trustee Joyce and husband Chris to travel to London to visit the Art by Post exhibition ‘Of Home and Hope’ and were also shown around the Mixing It Up exhibition at The Hayward Gallery. Bonny, Julia, Jason and Carol gave ‘Spotlight Talks’ on two occasions about how art had helped them to cope with lockdown for members of the public who happened to be viewing the artwork. Their talks were very well-received and sparked some wonderful conversations and exchanges afterwards about Flying Fish Artists and surviving difficult times. Much respect was shown to our party who surprised themselves in doing what they would have never thought possible in achieving this trip with the practical support of Art by Post arranging travel and accommodation and guidance throughout. In October, a small film crew from London visited our studio session to make a short documentary about our group and meet more of our members. This collaboration with Art by Post has really helped our artists to feel that any sort of creativity they could follow was important and that they in turn mattered, providing validation for individuals cut off from their usual face to face studio sessions during times of Covid-19 restrictions. 7 | P a g e ## **Financial Information: Year Ending March 2022** **----- Start of picture text -----**
Income Unrestricted Restricted Total
Grant income - 2,212 2,212
Donations 900 - 900
Commissions - - -
Events - - -
Sales - - -
TOTAL 900 2,212 3,112
Expenditure
Workshops - 835 835
Materials/equip 77 193 270
Marketing 98 - 98
Rent & rates 700 1,184 1,884
TOTAL 875 2,212 3,087
Net income 25 - 25
Reserves 2022 * 1,356 - 1,356
Reserves 2021 1,331 - 1,331
Movement 25 - 25
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Art by Bonny _*Note 1- Remaining funds will be carried over to the following financial year to cover running costs._ 8 | P a g e ## **Our Members Say...** ## _**Reflections on ArtbyPost participation by Sue**_ _‘The artwork for me was like finding one powerful way to combat loss because it’s yours and can never be taken from you and will always be there, even at times when you choose to turn your back on it or ignore it!! It brings with it an identity and sense of belonging – the Art by Post project brought that home to me once again - that even at times of imposed isolation and intense aloneness, you are actually still a part of a creative community that continues through time and regardless of circumstance. It really is one powerful way to feel a part of something bigger and connected to people who you will probably never meet. I know that made me smile a few times and gave me strength through lockdown. Taking my watercolour paintings to the Post Office after writing Freepost ArtbyPost Southbank Centre London amused me wondering where they might eventually end up but they arrived safely and one painting was used in the exhibition and the other was reproduced on a postcard which I found very surprising_ _**.’**_ ## _**Message from Bonny**_ _‘I am fortunate to be a member of Flying Fish Artists. The combination of meeting up with friends and doing some artwork at the same time can’t be matched. This year has been an adventure encompassing a truly amazing trip to The South Bank Centre in London, whittling in Hakeford Woods, printmaking workshops, field trips and learning to play the tongue drum with another member. Then, in contrast is the peace we can have in the studio space once a week, making art, sharing thoughts and ideas over a nice hot drink and flapjacks.’_ ## _**Message from Julia**_ _‘I’m so thankful that Flying Fish is back, for chances to meet-up and create, share stuff and encourage each other. The workshops have been great and inspirational and for the opportunities to go to London and Rosemoor. Thank-you lovely friends’_ 9 | P a g e ## **Artwork From Our Members** Art by various members **----- Start of picture text -----**
Art by Janine
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Art by Annette
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10 | P a g e ## **Thank You to ALL our Wonderful Sponsors and Donors** ## **Sponsors and Donors during 2021-2022 have included:** _Devon County Council Reconnect Rebuild Recover 3R Grant Fund_ _Torrington Cavaliers Bonfire Fund_ _North Devon Councillors’ Community Fund_ ## **Contact Us** **We would love to hear from you!** **Visit our studio session on Tuesdays between 10.30 and 1.30 p.m. at The Castle Centre Barnstaple Email address: flyingfishartists@googlemail.com** **Website: www.flyingfishartists.org.uk** **Cover image by Claire** 11 | P a g e