Connect

Find what connects people in your village

Our artists will collaborate with village residents to create artworks, drawing on the many and varied ways in which communities connect.

During lockdown, people were not able to meet up and even now, as things begin to relax a little, we still need to be mindful of social distancing and keeping ourselves – and others – safe.

However, people are still out there, going to the shops, walking public footpaths, visiting local landmarks – it’s just it tends to happen in smaller groups or as individuals.

CONNECT is a way of linking those individual visits – one of our artists will work with a key person in the location, to identify a place or activity that connects local residents and will then create a piece of artwork, in response to it.

Local people will have the opportunity to join in, be it by taking an active role in contributing to the artwork, or just by enjoying its presence and what is says about the many ways we connect.

Our partner, The Rural Coffee Caravan, has started to visit rural locations again, and we’re delighted to be going along with them to enjoy the coffee (in our own mug) and connect with residents.

We will be inviting them to tell us what makes their village special for them – and share it with others by writing a postcard about their village, which we will ‘post’ here on the Connect page of the Make, Do & Friends blog site.

Buddy Up with Mr Bibbles

When Dean phoned Wendy, for a Buddy Up creative chat, she shared with him a true and moving story, about a pigeon she raised. THE BALLAD OF TINKERBELLE BIBBLES He…

Inspired by the Moors

Originally, we had hoped that Caitlin would be able to visit Eye in person and work face-to-face with residents, as part of her Connect intervention. Instead, we had an intervention…

Remote poetry in Stradbroke

Poet Arji Manuelpillai has been running a remote poetry residency in Stradbroke, inviting local residents to select an image from the Stradbroke Village Archive and then creating a poem in…

A view across fields with a stormy black sky overhead

A Creative Chat in Buxhall

Recently, Dean telephoned Steve, in Buxhall, for a bit of a chat about the village and what life was like, living there. As it happens, Steve is a photographer, so…

The Bench in a Field with a View

Following on from his visit to Combs last summer with the Rural Coffee Caravan, and all the postcards sent in by residents, Dean created this poem about the many paths…

A Creative Chat in Laxfield

As part of our connecting Creative Chats, Dean telephoned a local resident – and got the dog’s side of the picture. MR PICKLES OF LAXFIELD I’m a chiweenie, cross between…

Bench with a View

It all started with stories about a bench in Combs; now, we’re asking residents across Suffolk to tell us about their favourite bench. What’s the view from your favourite bench?…

Connect in Combs

As part of our Connect events, Dean spoke at length with Desiree, and together they created this poem about Oaks Meadow. OAKS MEADOW Every summer was sunny when Dad was…

The artist, Caitlin, putting up the first of the nine plaques

Connect all over Laxfield

The plaques are now up in Laxfield – they’ve been cast in jesmonite, with added iron filings and a salt wash, so they will ‘age’ over time. Thank you to…