Moving onwards and upwards

After many years of creative projects, initiatives, seminars and a truly talented gaggle of artists working in the surprisingly inspiring building that is Action Factory, the time has come for us to move onwards and upwards.

It’s an exciting time for the Action Factory team; the move to our new premises will enable us to move one step closer to achieving our future vision for Action Factory.

Back in 2012 we devised a plan to radically change the structure of Action Factory and since then we have been moving towards our future vision. Adopting an agile workforce structure allowed us as a staff team to evolve and develop, empowering us to respond more quickly to opportunities in more innovative and creative way. The move to our new premises will bring us one step closer to becoming a more agile and responsive company.

Exciting times ahead, but for now we have the monumental task of sorting through 28 years of collected creativity and resources. We are downsizing considerably so on the 18th October we will be hosting a one time only garage sale. We’ll be re-homing office equipment, arts materials and things I can’t even begin to describe. It promises to be a garage sale like no other, where else could you buy a giant Dracula head?
If you are around on the 18th of Oct why not pay us a visit?

https://www.facebook.com/events/1484887758448397/ 

Watch this space

21/02/12
After contemplating the day spent at a seminar on developing digital arts I realised just how much we are doing right. At first I was a little impatient with the event as I felt it was aimed a lot lower than my current knowledge of the area. But after a very inspirational talk by Esko Reinikainen I am left feeling “Yes! We are on the right track!”



Image, courtesy of Adrian Barber
As an organisation we rejected the typical hierarchical structure most businesses employ. This was a risk because often the first question people ask is “who is the company manager?” or “who is your CEO?”. When you reply “we are non hierarchical organisation we have no manager”, you can see first confusion, then scepticism on their faces.


For the past two years as an organisation we have been trialling an agile structure with shared responsibility. Although agile enterprises by definition include numerous, constantly co-evolving and moving parts, they do require some structure. We work to our strengths with each staff member having an overall responsibility for different aspects of our work. This work is then shadowed by a second staff member providing support and the sharing of knowledge. So far it’s working well but we know we have a lot further to go in convincing the general populace of it’s dynamic value.


Esko Reinikainen 's talk and a recent radio 4 piece on similar socially aware business models made me realise that it may be risky to innovate but it’s worth it if you know it’s the right thing to do.


As a new team in an old organisation we have a lot to do and a very short time to prove ourselves, so watch this space.

So much to do

Since the New Year things have got really busy at Action Factory. There is so much going on, much of it revolving around taking Action Factory to a new level. It’s this year that our funding from the Arts Council ends. We are very sad that we are no longer part of the Arts Council’s regularly funded portfolio, but you know I think it’s doing us good.

It’s meant that we have had to take a good long hard look at who we are and what we do. It’s meant that we have had to explore other ways of bringing in income that sits well with our charity status, and it’s meant that we pull together as a team like we have never done so before. And we are not doing too bad and I for one am enjoying it!

Alongside writing a very important bid application and the refinement of our programme of work, my role has been developing a new website for Action Factory, one with a fresher look and a bit more relevant content. The intention is that we will blog about our work and projects so that other people can make comments and also so they can be easily databased using the categories and tags available on blogs. It will be down to you the reader to see if that works.

The bid is coming along nicely. Lucy has really stuck her teeth into it and is moving it along at a pace. We’ ve met with the arts officer at our local authority to go through it and put in some long hours on the development of the content. We will deserve some days off when it is done.We have also been talking to various people about taking space in the Action Factory. Nothing to announce yet, but we are hoping to share the building with some new people soon. Anyone who would like to join us – work space and office space is available.

Our work continues alongside. Kerry is a never ending whirr as she dashes from commitment to commitment, and Nicole has been continuing her drama with literacy work as she starts another term with a new year group. The Action Factory Youth Theatre has started up again, and are working towards a performance at the end of March.Plans are now afoot for a week of activities to celebrate World Community Arts Day later this month, kicking off with a love theme for stall at Radio Lancs on Valentine’s Day. 

2012 is going to one of the most challenging yet for Action factory, but the team is working together like never before, ready to take this organisation to the next stage in its development.

Trust

I have been thinking today about how much of our lives is dependent on trust. As I write, I am sat on a train, in a backward facing seat and outside is total blackness. I have to trust that the train is in good working order, the track is ok under the train, the driver knows what he is doing and all the points are set right so we don't go headlong into another. So much of our life is like this.

Sometimes its hard to stand up
and face the world !

Of course, the work we do at Action Factory also asks people to trust us. We are not out there teaching someone how to draw or act. What we are about is developing a relationship where a person or a group can feel safe. Because generally the people we deal with need a bit of support. Our groups are very diverse as we work with people disadvantaged in some way. We offer a respite from the high toll of modern life and the problems that can throw up.


In my short time at Action Factory, I have seen many people come through the door battered by what life has chosen to throw at them. Sometimes it takes a few hours sometimes longer, but generally that person walks out a little taller, with less strain showing on their face and a sense of confidence and positiveness that enables them to cope with the rough seas of their life.  And that's why working at Action Factory has made me stand a bit taller, and face my own rough seas a little better. 

LCFT Christmas Event

Getting creative!

I attended an NHS Christmas event today and had a great time. I was surprised at how many people I knew although perhaps it’s not that strange as I have been working with Lancashire Care Foundation Trust a lot recently. I even met a nurse who is coming to the team building day on Friday at Action Factory. There were a few confused faces as I enthusiastically waved at people until we all realised that I’ve cut all my hair off so look quite different. 

I laughed out loud when I saw the guys on the sexual health stand they were dressed up as elves…. Get it? Sexual Elf!   
 

Recently I was commissioned by LCFT to create an art piece for the new mental health facility in Blackpool, so I was there ‘forcing’ people to be creative and contributing to the piece. If I had a pound for every time I heard someone say “oh no, I’m not creative” and then see them create something they are proud of; I’d be driving an Audi.

Julian signing out

Lucy and Julian enjoying a moment at Action Factory

It is now becoming wider knowledge that Julian Dunn will be taking voluntary redundancy and leaving Action Factory at the end of this year, after over 26 years committed work. Lucy, Nicole, Kerry and myself are steeling ourselves for life at Action Factory without Julian Dunn. Never mind all the hard work he puts in, who will pick out pertinent stories from the Guardian and keep us up to date! Who will turn the lights out after us and collect all the pots for washing up!

Seriously though, Julian has been a tour de force and been involved in communities, the local voluntary networks and many schemes and projects over the last 26+ years, he has touched many people's lives and landscapes. He is one of the stalwarts of the community arts scene, trailblazing the use of art to bring together disparate groups of people and bring a new postiivism to individuals who have been disadvantaged by circumstance.

We are currently collating feedback from contacts he has made during his time in Blackburn with the intention of creating some sort of tribute to him. Please help us by sending in comments, observations or messages to jwindley@actionfactory.org. There are only weeks to go so don't delay, please get your contributions to us by Wednesday 7th December 2011. 

Did you work with us in the past? did you have work experience or volunteer? Did you commission a project? Were you one of the participants in a project? If so, we would love to hear from you.

Julian, surprisingly, does not want a big do to celebrate the end of his tenure at Action Factory, maybe we should not listen to his pleas for a quiet departure. However, his last day in Action Factory is 23rd December 2011, and you are welcome to pop in and pass on your good wishes.

As you all know, Julian is irreplaceable! And we have no plans to replace him, his work will be shared out amongst the team. He does promise to help us out and his association with Action Factory may continue on a voluntary basis.

Hello again!

Haven't been updating this for a while-oops! At least there's lots to say...

Projects are developing further. We have been successful with the Woven Cultures funding application (connected with the Cultural Olympiad) and have a project running now called 'Something Beautiful.'

This project involves young people and adults from specific community groups as well as the general public within Blackburn, telling us about their ideas of beauty. There will be work on display in various unusual places on 13th March at a celebration event to tie in with the Empty Shop project at the Pavilion in the town centre. For more info on the Empty Shop events visit www.popblackburn.co.uk and keep an eye on the Action Factory website.... (www.actionfactory.org)

Other news: I attended the Refugee Week Conference in London on 22nd January. They are continuing their very successful Simple Acts campaign. Twenty small actions have been suggested for anyone to take to show their support for those seeking sanctuary-just let them know you have done them! More info at: http://www.refugeeweek.org.uk/simple-acts

On 17th February, we have World Community Arts Day at Action Factory's base in Blackburn and am keeping fingers crossed that we have decent weather, as we are expecting lots of people to attend.