See the visual art created by the group during the course.

In the first of our creative courses designed for adults looking for work, artists Beci and Kate designed each session to help participants develop some of the skills employers are looking for in new recruits.

Called ‘Rise to the challenge’ the course was a challenge for all involved. The artists were working cross-artform and using the idea of story to frame sessions. Participants were relating the stories to their own lives and as a group taking some meaningful steps forward.

Kate said: All stories fall into one of seven basic plots. Each week we took a different plot and used visual art, drama and words to investigate further.

"One of the stories is ‘Rags to Riches’ – when someone rises from poverty to wealth. We chose two old traffic cones and transformed them into crowns using mirror tiles to capture both the sense of our own reflection and the glitter of a crown. 

"The group talked about the creative fun side of making something ordinary into something precious and beautiful. The process also allowed them to reflect on their own journey and use that knowledge in their pathway to find work. The group developed lots of creative skills and rediscovered the talents and qualities they have to move forward in the future."

Beci said: "The visual art was a great stimulus for conversation and drama. Using basic drama and creative writing approaches participants explored each story plot and looked at how it related to real life and their journey back to work. People in the group were very open about their experiences before the course, and reflected on how each story applied to their own lives and aspirations."

The group's work is now on display at The Point. Why not take a look.