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Try It!

Try It! Programme

WORKSHOPS BACK FOR 2022

Try It! is a programme encouraging Coventry residents to have a go at a range of new, and often quirky, health-giving creative activities during our year as UK City of Culture.

We believe in social prescribing – the idea that, by taking part in community activities, we can all improve our health and wellbeing. 

This project aims to enhance the lives of community members and leave a lasting legacy of creative activities in Coventry.

We carefully selected a vast option of clubs which will host workshops for different target groups to ensure that the programme meets the needs of the community.

By clicking on the links below, you’ll find a detailed summary of each club, the dates, times and locations, as well as the benefits you could gain from joining.

 

THE CLUBS (UPDATED FOR 2022)

Try It! - EnviroArt Coffee Morning (2022)

Join the EnviroArt group, relax, create and meet new people. Each week you will be provided with natural, edible or everyday objects to make patterns – as intricate or simple as you like. Then, we will photograph the designs (which are only temporary) and replicate and mirror them to make lovely kaleidoscope patterns which will ultimately be used in some public artwork.

See event page
 

Try It! - Create & Repair Club (2022) - 9.30am

Do you want to build an accessible herb garden from reclaimed pallet-wood? Do you want to catch the craze for vinyl window and wall décor? Do you want to add electronics to clothing, or design light-up, personalised jewellery? We are here to help you make, repair and learn, regardless of your experience. 

See event page
 

Try It! - Create & Repair Club (2022) - 11.30am

Do you want to build an accessible herb garden from reclaimed pallet-wood? Do you want to catch the craze for vinyl window and wall décor? Do you want to add electronics to clothing, or design light-up, personalised jewellery? We are here to help you make, repair and learn, regardless of your experience. 

See event page
 

Try It! - Anybody Can Drum (2022)

Do you want to explore rhythms from around the world through drums? Across ten weeks, we’ll explore your cultural backgrounds, finding your native drums/rhythms and sharing with each other, fusing rhythms from around the world.

See event page
 

Try It! - Pass the Pen (2022)

Looking to build your confidence and improve your mental wellbeing? Join Coventry Poet Laureate, Emilie Lauren Jones for six relaxed sessions. Ideal for people who are new to poetry as well as those who already enjoy any form of creative writing, we will have fun exploring words as a form of self-expression.

See event page
 

Try It! - Storytellers' Club (2022)

Share your experiences while making new friends. Through this Storytellers’ Club, we’ll help you weave fictional worlds, characters, and narratives into a story entirely of their own creation.

See event page
 
 

MORE INFORMATION

Coventry City of Culture 2021 is working in partnership with Health Exchange, Warwickshire County Council and Age UK to introduce the Try It! Programme for communities in and around  Coventry and Warwickshire.

The Try it!  Programme is a participatory and social art practice. It can take place in community halls, outdoor venues, theatres and galleries to communal settings, cross-artform venues and art centres. With the support of the National Lottery Community Fund, Warwickshire County Council, and Spirit of the 2012 City of Culture introduced Try It!

In December 2020, the City of Culture put out an 'Expression of Interest (EOI) calling for creative practitioners to be part of the initiative. We received an astounding 37 responses from creative practitioners offering diverse creative workshops and hosted a three-day pop-up art festival that ran from 14 – 16 April 2021 which we coined Taster Sessions. Community members and creative artists showcased various participatory social art forms.

TESTIMONIALS

"As a father, I had never attended anything creative like this, very much new to me and my partner reassures me, but I think if workshops like this were open to men, I could get the reassurance there too."
Participant, Bhangra Dance for Tots Workshop
“The creative writing process showed me how I can build my self-esteem, write to myself and drawing what makes me feel good was great, and gave me a something to look forward to as a treat…people in the communities we serve need this.”
Community Navigator, Creative Writing Programme
“Relationships are not complete without food; storytelling is an art form that heals, and food soothes”
Creative Practitioner, Reminiscence Storytelling and Meal Sharing
“I quite like the fact that she chose quite a dramatic story and a dramatic dish, because to me that brings the arts into it more… all the way through from when I read the proposal, I thought should we include cookery because all these workshops are about building communities…”
Community Member, Reminiscence Storytelling and Meal Sharing
 
 

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Following the three-day pop-up art festival and positive feedback, we are pleased to announce that, Try It! Combined Arts Programme will run 19 creative art projects for 10-weeks under the Artistic Directorship and Creative Producing of Dr Nobulali Dangazele.

“This project shows that there are no boundaries to creativity! The combination of artforms and new relationships between participants and creative is inspiring to witness.”

Nobulali Dangazele

Nobulali has been working on the production of the Programme from its initiation stages, with the programme currently being in its planning and marketing phase. The Try It! Programme will kick-start with these inspiring new, health-giving creative activities for the surrounding communities, inviting residents to try something new in City of Culture year.  It will also promote arts and health activities specifically for social prescribing. The Programme will launch on a ‘Fun Palaces’ Day of taster sessions on 2 October 2021 and run weekly clubs across the City and Country through to December.

This Project will help us to recover from lockdown, teach new creative skills, nurture new friendships, and provide a legacy of creative activities for communities into the future.

THE BROCHURE (2021)

Take a look at the brochure for the original run of workshops in 2021.