Groundswell Arts

21/05/2026

20/05/2026

Here's a quote from our flagship Sing Our Story programme where we are currently wrapping up some work with the Rayne Foundation and planning for our projects funded through and from Autumn onwards. Sing Our Story is a songwriting programme where musicians work with children and families to write and record bespoke songs that celebrate each child's unique story. Now 15 years since we began this work we continue to seek new opportunities to develop this impactful strand of work.

Tonight we are having a sharing for a very special small project supported by The Rayne Foundation working with kinship carers we are excited to get together with these families for pizza and songs this evening , the children and young people involved are between 7 and 17 and we cant wait to celebrate with them.

18/05/2026

Sharing from our recent workshops with Waltham Forest Early Years where we shared our Light Box work to provide inspiration for early years practitioners to enhance their delivery in ways that were cost effective and manageable within their settings.

Our trainings and sessions with Light are available for 2026/27 get in touch to find out more

16/05/2026

Looking forward to this next week and to having roped in and for this too ! An important topic for early years

15/05/2026

Yesterday we came together with 10 other organisations all of whom like us were part of Primary Arts Touring Programme this Spring. This incredible offer has gone out to 100 primary and special schools during Spring term and we were fortunate to tour our Light Box Installation and shadow puppetry workshops and take CPD to 11 primary and special needs settings.

Over the programme we had the opportunity to learn from and share practice with the other organisations across the programme and we reflected on how important it feels that this work has been able to happen given the current lack of budgets schools have to bring in touring shows, or professional artists.

It is so important that we recognise the high quality work that is made for schools and build a sector where it can thrive!

For some children projects and initiatives like these may mean the first time they encounter a dancer or a writer or a theatre show !

Pic decription : A series of different neon pink and green pipe cleaners of different lengths glowing under UV light. They create a range of patterns and piles some are organised in steps and others are weaving and criss crossing over each other , some are cut into little small pieces and surround a glowing green star.

14/05/2026

As part of our recent Energiser Fund Learning Community get-together on day 2 on our session in Corby we had a brilliant time exploring the unlimited potential of clay in work with 2-4 year olds.

Lled by Jane and Rich from . They inspired consideration of different frameworks for observing play and creativity, touching on Anna Crafts Possibility thinking and Schemas. The Clay Play rolled into a talk from Dr Susan Young, who took us deeper into pedagogy and practice.

Image description: Four adults sit with clay and series of other materials at a table, next to the table an artist stands on a chair and drops lumps of clay onto the table. Three adults stand around the table with pencil and paper, observing the adults play!

13/05/2026

This week is Mental Health Awareness week and recently we have been thinking lots about Time and Space. We live in a time poor society so our work seeks to address wellbeing in children and adults through creating the conditions where creativity, play and connection can happen.

What can you take time for this week ?

Photo description : Some long neon wool threads hanging down and a baby is being held in outstretched arms by his mother in between the threads. His mother is holding his gaze and has a wide open mouth they are smiling and laughing at each other.

Photo credit - London Museum

From our Light Box project

12/05/2026

Last month 11 organisations from Energiser Fund came together to meet hosted at in Corby.

Over two days we focused on the 'How of co-creation' reflecting, sharing and interrogating pedagogy in relation to co-creation with 2-4 year olds, their families, practitioners and communities.

We are really thankful for all of the contributions across the two days including

Collette and Flavia from Pen Green
Liz Clark
sharing work from

Dr Susan Young

Thanks to our research team

russa

Thanks to Zoe, Phoebe and the whole Youth Music team

facilitation from and support from Gareth Howells and Adam

All the other orgs who make up the community












Image on left: A room full of adults are sitting at tables on the centre of the table you see large clay structures with sticks and objects sticking out

Image on right: A group of adult women stand facing each other and smiling they are holding squishy pink bean bags.

11/05/2026

It is Mental Health Awareness Week

In an increasingly overwhelming and outcomes driven world that leaves many at a loss, with low confidence and poor mental health we are advocating the power of play, the arts and creativity for children, families, and their adults.

In an education system focused on results and scores we want to champion creativity, play, and human relationships through the arts. We want to recognise he voice of the child, their adults and their educators and make time and space for passions and interests to emerge .... Lets demand change !

Pic description - The picture shows a brown tent like structure with gold circle designs across the entrance way- A child with children behind her is standing holding open the sides of the tent facing outwards and smiling widely.

11/05/2026

At the end of last month we had the pleasure of designing and organising our fourth Energiser Fund Learning Community event in our role as Energiser Fund Learning partner.

A full circle moment for us was being able to deliver this event in Corby where our director Angeline completed a masters degree in integrated practice in work with children and families almost a decade ago.

We are exploring work which focuses on the creativity of 2-4 year olds and brings together 11 varied and wonderful creative partners across the UK who are sharing and reflecting on the practice of co-creation with this age group and how and what is required when we listen and learn from children, families, practitioners and communities involved in this work.

On Day one we had the wonderful experience of seeing excerpts from the development process of a dance piece / work in progress which is being co-created and developed through exploration of the dances of 2-4 year olds. The session was led by Liz Clark and her team . People had a fantastic time playing together with the same props explored by the children and particularly loved these 'Dough duvet's' and exploring all of the potential possibilities for play and movement together.

is providing such a unique and important opportunity within this fund to allow people to come together to share practice and reflect on this work together. We are proud to be part of this work.

Image description: The image shows 5 adults lying on the floor, balancing cushions between their feet or putting their legs up in the air. The cushions are described as dough balls and resemble round puffy, squishy bean bags. They are in a colour palette of burgundy, light pinks and rose colours.

23/04/2026

Gareth and Tinka had a brilliant time with 50 or so EY practitioners in Waltham Forest as part of the meaningful moments and warm connections summit yesterday. We set up a range of activities using projectors, light boxes, and shadow puppetry for people to explore and play with