Junction Arts has been working hard during the last few months to bring you the very best art projects to do from home. Globally we have all been adapting and looking for new ways to keep our brains stimulated and our souls happy while we have been living with restrictions and the ‘new normal’.

Our online projects have been created to ignite inspiration and creativity, to educate and enable people to keep connected with each other, their communities and their environments. It’s important that while we are restricted we keep up good mental and physical health by finding new ways to engage in activities. Below are a list of projects you can do from home, some physical and some creative, to help get you and others stay healthy.

It was with great sadness that we had to cancel the 2020 Festival due to the Covid – 19 Pandemic but we were determined to do something in its place that would involve and give pleasure to the community. With this in mind, we invited the public to submit their creative responses to the area for the Tapton Lock Outdoor Art Exhibition. The exhibition is now up around Tapton lock Visitors Centre and looks great, if we do say so ourselves!

Why not take a visit? The Vistitors Centre is open 10am – 4pm every day serving refreshments.
You can also see the lovely art sculpture, mosaics and art under the tunnel at Tapton too!

Dog friendly, all welcome!
To see more about the Tapton Lock Exhibition visit the project page: https://junctionarts.org/tapton-lock-festival-2020/

The Art of Letter Writing Online

The Art of Letter Writing Online is an online project to create and celebrate the unique relationships we make with each other by writing and receiving letters.

This is a 3 part project where you will look at unique historical letters from Derbyshire Record Office, Write your own letter and lastly learn about Illuminated lettering and have a go at making your own Illuminated initial.

To tackle isolation within the elderly community, we also give you the opportunity to write to a care home in Derbyshire and brighten someones day.

So far the project has been a great success with many people completing the project and 11 care homes (to date) are involved in the project!

This is a free online project and anyone is welcome to take part.

Click the link to go to the project page: https://junctionarts.org/community-projects/art-of-letter-writing-online/

Our marketing coordinator JJ has been hosting a series of Live interviews with a Q&A session, featuring incredibly talented artists from across the East Midlands, from actors and makers, to musicians and poets and more.

This series has created a fantastic opportunity for viewers at home to learn more about different creative practices and participatory work. The interviews are streamed live on the Junction Arts Instagram channel. Luckily, if you missed them, you can still watch them on our Instagram IGTV @junctionartsUK or head over to our blog page to see the summarys of the talks.

Our next IG LIVE session is with Suzannah Bedford from City Arts, Nottingham.

Monday 21st September 2020 at 7pm

When you walk outside, what do you see? This project is a participatory walking challenge, to encourage people to explore their surroundings and any potential artworks during walks and outdoor exercise.

Have a walk around your local areas and look out for any public art, murals, stained glass windows or interesting architecture on your walk. You will be surprised as to how many things you will find when you start looking. This is a great thing to do on your own or as a family.
For ideas around Chesterfield visit our pARTicipatory Art walks project page.
https://junctionarts.org/community-projects/participatory-walks/

Boy holding his Arts award work, at Tapton Lock Festival

Children and young people – are you looking for interesting and fun ways to spend your time?
Parents and guardians – are you looking for a free, fun, unique and educational activity to do with your children at home?

If this applies to you, then why not take part in the Voyage of Discovery and receive your Arts Award Discover and an official certificate from Trinity College London for all your hard work?

This online project is a great way to learn, get creative and share talents. We have had children all over England complete their workbooks and receive their Arts Award!
Head over to the project page to get started: https://junctionarts.org/community-projects/voyage-of-discovery/

Our Places, Our Poetry map.

How do you capture a place through poetry? Explore the art of capturing place through poetry in this new online project. Embark on a journey of imagination and visit our virtual map of North East Derbyshire, where you can read a wonderful collection of place-based poems written by poets Junction Arts has worked with both past and present. The poems are accompanied with photographs and even some youtube videos for you to enjoy.

Keep on eye on our ‘whats on’ page as soon we will be hosting some workshops, so you too can have a go at writing some poetry.

Visit the project page to see the map and let your imagination take a wander around our local places.: https://junctionarts.org/community-projects/our-poems-our-places/