As Skelmersdale Art Network launches this week with a plan to ‘celebrate and develop art in Skelmersdale’, one of its founder members, Cerys Smye-Rumsby, tells us how it came about:

‘In June 2019, a group of seven artists organised a successful art exhibition ‘Journeys’, held at the Artz Centre in Skelmersdale. The artists were encouraged by the response they had from those attending and were aware of more in the town who enjoyed creating art. It seemed that there were many people who were experimenting with painting and drawing and who would appreciate being linked up in some sort of network.

‘With the help of some ‘seed funding’ from Well Skelmersdale, we are now officially launching Skelmersdale Art Network, so there is now the opportunity for anyone to be part of a growing number of local people who love to create by making marks on paper.

‘The plan is for initial online art sessions where people can meet and share their work, with face-to-face workshops planned for when current restrictions ease.

‘There is such talent out there and the network aims to be a place of encouragement where everyone feels comfortable ‘having a go’.’

A steering group has been formed, some of whom have been expressing how making art gives them daily benefits:

“Making space to be creative is an incredibly important part of my day. Whether that be doodling on notes in the break of a meeting or creating a full-blown image, I tend to use my i-pad and Apple Pencil along with an app called Procreate which allows me to use a range of digital forms from oil paint to ink, pencil to chalk. When I’m creating in this way, my mind is at rest, I find myself in the flow of the activity and away from the chatter of my mind. I also find that although I’m often alone when I’m creating, in a way, I feel a heightened sense of connectedness knowing that the themes arising in my work are not relevant to me alone.”

Steering group member

“Being creative begins to unlock the lockdown”

Steering group member

If you would like to know more or get involved, please email cerys@wlcvs.org