Watch free video tutorials for mindful art activities you can try at home.
They are designed for people who have not done much art before. The activities can be adapted to push your skills a little further, should you wish to.
The video tutorials complement our Create to Connect activities booklets. They offer an alternative way to try the activities. The videos were recorded remotely by the twelve artists who led an online workshop programme for older people in Spring 2021.
Making a Memory Jar with Artist Rebekah Porter
Dramatherapist Rebekah Porter shares ideas for mindful activities that focus on hope. This tutorial is inspired by the story ‘The Lost Happy Endings’ by Carol Ann Duffy. The workshop will show you how positive thinking can help you take stock in your lives, and help you set realistic goals without being too hard on yourself.
Make a Puppet with Nikki Charlesworth
Theatre designer, puppeteer and puppet maker Nikki Charlesworth guides you through an activity that will help you make your own Bunraku inspired puppet, using found objects. It will help you to ‘think like a puppet maker’.
Bunraku is an ancient form of traditional Japanese puppetry. It continues to influence and inspire modern puppet theatres across the world.
Creating Dada Poetry with Chloe Elms
Writer, musician and curator Chloe Elms shows you how to use the Dada Movement as inspiration for poetry.
The Dada Movement started in Zurich after the atrocities of World War One. Artists like Hugo Ball felt that art should express the abstract, the innocence, the anti-art of society. ‘Dada’ has multiple definitions across the world, including ‘Mother’, and ‘Rocking Horse’. The movement used it to describe everything and nothing at the same time.
One mode of creating Dada art and poetry was autonomous crafting, practices known today as freewriting, doodling and improvisation.
Compiling you own ‘Golden Disc’ with Dan Mayfield
Dan Mayfield is a multi-instrumentalist, composer, sound artist and author.
He introduces you to the fascinating story of Voyager 1 and 2, launched into space by NASA in 1977. On the side of each spacecraft there is a 12” gold plated disc. It contains a collection of sounds, music and images from Earth.
Dan shares some suggest about how you can make your own golden disc.
Mindful Drawing with Elaine Winter
Artist Elaine Winter demonstrates how mindful drawings can be done quickly and can also be at lot of fun. This activity will improve your hand-eye co-ordination and boost your wellbeing.
360 Drawing with Jane Stockley
Artist Jane Stockley demonstrates how you can experiment with different drawing skills to create an unusual 360 drawing on paper.
Keeping a Journal with Katie Sone
Writer Katie Sone explains how journalling can boost your wellbeing. Writing for wellbeing is a bit different to creative writing. Writing can be used as a way to manage your mental health. It can help to unclutter your mind, and give you tools to become more mindful. Keeping a journal is a good way to do this.
Movement, Meditation and Art with Lorna McNeill & Luke Brown
Visual artist Lorna McNeill and dancer Luke Brown show you how to explore movement, meditation and art in combination.
How to tell story with Luke Pearson
Humans have been telling stories forever. You’re no different, you’re already a story teller. Every day you tell stories to your friends, family, and the people you meet. When someone asks you ‘how was your day?’, they’re inviting you to tell them a story.
Luke Pearson from Hull Truck Theatre shares tips to help you create, structure and tell a good story.
Nature-themed guided meditation with Rachel Massey
A short guided meditation from Rachel Massey. It will help you focus on nature, putting your mind at ease and taking you to a place of relaxation. Rachel’s ‘Other Ways to Walk’ project shows people how they can improve their wellbeing by connecting with nature.
About Create to Connect
Create to Connect is a project designed to reduce isolation for people aged 55 and over. Hundreds of thousands of older people are lonely and cut off from society in England. The COVID-19 pandemic increased this massively.
People of all ages have had to remain socially distanced and self-isolated. For older people, who are at greater risk from the disease, this has been an additionally difficult time.
We worked with 12 different artists to create a series of resources that older adults could access from the safety of their homes. Each promotes creativity as a way to connect with others and the world. They also offer tips to boost wellbeing and mood.