Reconnect! Project Summary 2022-23
The Reconnect! Workshop Programme 2022 – 23 offered a diverse range of engaging and creative sessions aimed at fostering community connection, environmental awareness, and personal development. There is now a network of around 100 participants who have been attending across our Reconnect! events developed over the 2022-23 period. This was funded through the National Lottery Awards for All Community Fund. We ran 30 events, covering confidence building and skills development, including creative skills, technical skills, and employability around sustainability.
The series also featured special events like the Creative Climate Drop-in, where participants explored the energy crisis and fuel poverty through discussions, climate art, and interactions with like-minded individuals. Workshops like Lino Cutting for Beginners and Wreath Making provided opportunities for artistic expression, while the Back on Track Confidence Building Programme offers a structured approach to enhancing self-confidence and planning for the future. The Little Things Workshop introduced sustainable living practices with a focus on permaculture, and the Bee-Friendly Creative Workshop combines eco-art with efforts to make Brighton and Hove more bee-friendly. We also were featured as part of the Festival of Learning as part of The Centre for Self-Managed Learning. The diverse offerings catered to different interests and provided a space for learning, creativity, and community engagement.
The events focused on fostering a sense of community among participants and we took feedback from the community we were working with which helped us shape the programme and the skills that we shared as we went. This included participants wanting a focus on sustainability and environmental knowledge and skills, alongside recognising the camaraderie that came with the more creative and arts-based sessions. Where possible we made the sessions family-friendly so that attendees would not have to struggle to find childcare.
I appreciated the opportunity to bring my daughter along to a creative and supportive space which accommodates us both and is not restricted to either just children or just adults. – Reconnect! Participant
As well as informal discussions, we collected feedback through online feedback forms, with a total of 102 forms completed across the duration of the project for different sessions. The programme was very well received, 100% of attendees said they would like to come back and attend future Reconnect! events. 90% of participants said that the events made them feel more connected to the local community. 86% of participants said the programmes they had attended made them want to engage more with creativity and the arts. 77% of participants felt that the Reconnect! programme was good for their well-being. 70% of participants felt they had new skills and knowledge that would help them in the workplace.
Community Facilitators and Partnerships
“It was great to see how it [Reconnect!] is connected with wider community engagement efforts and links up with the larger community centre programme while still giving us a chance to make suggestions and shape what is happening” – Reconnect” Participant
What was particularly important was bringing in and supporting facilitators from within the community to co-run events, developing employability skills in the facilitators as well as the participants. This included people who were reskilling for new careers, for example, a teacher who had left their jobs due to burnout getting to run their first facilitated sessions with adults in a supported environment. We also worked with a trainee art therapist who was able to develop employability skills through their art sessions. We already have more participants keen to share their skills with the group once we have the funding in place for future events.
We also worked with partner organisations who referred vulnerable groups who were suffering from isolation to us, as well as working with the existing community that uses the Cornerstone Community Centre and Hop 50+ Centre next door. These included The Carers Centre, Brighton Women’s Centre (who work with women struggling due to bereavement, domestic abuse, mental health and substance abuse) and Brighton Unemployed Centre Families Project.
What did participants like about the events on their feedback forms?
“The structure of the workshop was brilliant, really engaging and I can’t believe how much information was given in such a short amount of time. More so, I’m shocked at how much information I retained, which I normally find impossible.” – Reconnect” Participant
Participants at the Reconnect! Events expressed their enjoyment through a variety of aspects. They appreciated the diverse range of attendees and the event’s focus on fun and discovery with paints. The inclusive and supportive environment allowed participants to bring children along to some sessions, catering (when appropriate and possible) to both adults and children. The atmosphere was described as fun and free, with praise for the range of materials and excellent facilitators. The interactive and engaging nature of the events, including reflective activities, was highlighted. Attendees valued the chance to meet new people and the inspiring and friendly artist-facilitators who offered ideas and advice. The workshops were commended for their structure, effectiveness in delivering information, and the surprising amount of retained knowledge. The overall atmosphere, information, and activities were well-received, with positive comments about the venue, painting instruction, and the opportunity to try new artistic endeavours. The events covered diverse activities, including collage making, learning about Cyanotype, and making a bee hotel, contributing to a positive and inspiring learning experience for participants.
What should be improved about these events?
Participants generally expressed high satisfaction with the Reconnect! Events, with many stating that they couldn’t think of anything to improve. Some suggested minor enhancements, such as the addition of hot chocolate, improved visibility of the presentation screen, and the possibility of having optional themes for sessions. A participant mentioned that while the overall experience was positive, some people tended to dominate discussions, though this was not attributed to the hosts. Others suggested longer sessions for reflections or more participants. The desire for instructions beforehand, additional props for creating images, and the ability to print personal photographs for use at cyanotype workshops were also mentioned as potential improvements. Despite these suggestions, the overwhelming sentiment was positive, with participants expressing gratitude for the well-organised and enjoyable events.
New Reconnect Programme 2024
Magnetic Ideals looks forward to announcing a forthcoming programme of free training and skills sessions to develop new skills and help build community through creativity and confidence building. Will be offering courses that focus on coaching you to get back on track with work and life, learning new creative skills, putting on community events and promoting wellbeing through engaging with nature and permaculture. The programme is here to help you Reconnect with your life and purpose, and we look forward to sharing this journey with you!
At present, we are running a series of Creative Climate Cafes where you can meet people in the community to discuss the climate crisis in a warm and friendly environment no matter what your previous knowledge, booking online here.
We will be running these sessions with experienced facilitators from our own network and our partners such as Arts for Life and People into Permaculture. Sessions will be running at the Cornerstone Community Centre in Hove. We also hope to make the resources from the sessions available online for anyone unable to attend in person.
Our sessions will be free, inclusive and welcoming, with food, warm drinks, and a chance to chat and make new connections. The venue is accessible, and we encourage any participants with specific needs around accessibility, whether relating to physical needs, neurodiversity or emotional needs to let us know so we can make sure you enjoy and feel comfortable in our sessions.
Full details will be available soon, but if you want to know more about the programme, please email programme lead heather@magneticideals.org to be added to our mailing list!
We would like to say a huge thanks to The National Lottery Community Fund for making this project possible.
