About

Creative Community Development
The alison project has been operational on the Brookfield estate since 1994 and working from the Soundskills building since 2002. Our desire has been to render creativity as an intrinsic part of the solution to developing a better quality of life for people in the local area.
‘Creative community development’ is our way of ensuring that while we use creative processes and often produce creative product, the number one value that we hold is that we are in service to local people and people are way more important than art.

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Supporting People
Quality is a key word in our work. We utilise quality materials, industry standard software & equipment and enjoy the pursuit of high quality ideas & product. However, the most important factor in our work is the quality of ‘the process’ for the people we are working with. It has to be at their pace, sensitive to their emotional needs and driven by their interests & hopes.
We specialise in 1to1 working with adults & young people but we do carry out group projects too.
Previous clients in this work have included: Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust, Lancashire Youth & Community Service, Preston City Council.

One2one Care
Referrals tend to come through Pupil Referral Units, mainstream schools or community based service providers that offer our creative support as an option to individuals who have been on a difficult life/educational pathway. Often they need some time & space for a more relaxed period of exploration.We tap into their creative side – which might mean recovering their lateral thoughts & dreams that may have been suppressed or helping them to take their readily creative desires to another level. Enabling a self confidence through their creative expression that means they can re-focus their direction of travel and start to problem solve more effectively.
Previous in this work have included: Shaftesbury High school, Larches House, Lancashire Care Foundation Trust, Moorhey High School.

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High Quality Production
Although process is key. Over the years we have enabled people to create many wonderful products that they never dreamed possible. Everything from paintings to short films to sculptures to photographic portraits to promotional campaign materials to performances etc etc. Such things have served as a reminder of their time with us and have been items that they can share proudly with friends and family. We include their creative product in the regular exhibitions that we hold at our centre and where possible we try to get peoples work on display in other spaces like The Harris.

A large number of people we work with continue producing through the voluntary ‘creative self help groups’ that happen weekly at Soundskills and some individuals that we have supported have gone on to produce graphic design, film & photography as a career. We also include service users & volunteers that we are developing in creative commissions that we are given. In the past this has included the production of Company promotion products, animation films, music videos etc.
Previous clients in this work have included: Renshaws, Nottingham, Solent, Manchester Health.

Activity Capture
As well as offering a service locally to film & photograph activities & events that happen on the estate. We also offer this facility to organisations, groups & companies in the wider preston area. Where appropriate service users & volunteers are included in this work as it develops their confidence in their abilities.
Previous clients in this work have included: Community Gateway, Preston Carribbean Carnival, Preston City Mela TEC, Lancashire Encounter etc.