PHASE 1

Barrhead Housing Association initially commissioned Art in Partnership to produce a Feasibility Study for an Art and Social Inclusion Strategy. In 2003, Art in Partnership assisted the Association to secure funding from the Scottish Arts Council National Lottery and Communities Scotland to develop a twelve month programme of art and community involvement for Barrhead.

Advised by Art in Partnership, artists have been commissioned to research, develop and implement workshops and commission projects in collaboration with three vulnerable groups with whom the Association already has close ties.

• Causeway (Renfrewshire Association for Mental Health) worked with Andrea Roe and Richard Brown
• Unity Enterprise worked with Jonathan Owen; and
• Band F (Barrhead and Neilston Disabled Forum) worked with Helen McCrorie and Jennie Temple.

The workshops aimed to:

• encourage personal self confidence and self esteem
• encourage the acquisition of new skills
• assist in creating a positive public profile for the community group involved

As a parallel project, each of the artists was commissioned to produce an artwork that responds to the specific character of the locality. These commissioned works can be seen in the cafe area of Barrhead Sports Centre and on the B.A.S.I.S screen in Barrhead Community Library.