This page – Barter: Concept illustration of

Dalkeith Barter poster campaign

We are Artlink,

an organisation that puts artists

in partnership with people with

learning disabilities.

We’ve been creating some

imaginative projects in

Midlothian. Small businesses

and individuals have given

their time, their skills and their

creative spirit to this venture.

And what they receive in return

is priceless...

Left – Barter: George wearing the T shirt made from his paintings Below – Barter: Detail of George’s T-shirt made by Emily Millichip

In Rosslynlee, a vintage car

company received a beautiful

hand painted sign to advertise

their business. In exchange,

they took the people who made

the sign out for a series of jaunts

through the countryside in a

vintage Rolls Royce.

In Humbie, East Lothian,

members of our art workshops

created patisserie-themed

fascinators for a high-class

cookery school, adding a

creative edge to their service,

something they couldn’t have

got anywhere else. As a thank

you, the catering company

organised some exciting

cookery classes for our group. Above – Barter:House sign for vintage car owner

Right – Barter: Hat created by Lorna Kulik and Maggie Mowbray

Everything we do is based on

a belief in each individual’s

potential, and in the power of

creativity to change lives.

Our Barter Project has met with

huge enthusiasm from the local

community. The businesses

have received beautiful

artworks and the individuals

with learning disabilities have

received experiences that have

broadened their horizons.

Everyone gets something

uplifting and valuable from it.

In recent projects, our groups

have worked with traditional

musicians, a magician, an

organic farm, a residential home

and a homing pigeon club.

Above – Barter: Toy jigsaw for Whitmuir Organics,

drawings by Nicholas Trayner, design by James McLardy

The organisations involved

have found out how good it

feels to give something back,

to feel connected to their

community.

The individuals with learning

disabilities have had the chance

to contribute something

creative and worthwhile,

to learn new skills, to be

appreciated as active citizens

rather than passive recipients of

care. And that’s just one of our

projects.

Above right – Barter: Edie wears dog costume by David Adams and Emily Martin

Here are some other initiatives

we have going on in your area:

Many people find it difficult

to decide what to do when

they leave school – what

to learn, what path to take.

Even in later life, that can

still be the case. And it’s no

different for someone with a

learning disability. Our Making

programme in Mayfield offers

a menu of short projects,

imaginatively designed to

provide the participant with an

introduction to different creative

making skills. We give them the

chance to try something new,

and to carry on with it if they

are interested.

As cuts to public services bite

hard, it becomes increasingly

important to ensure that

local people with learning

disabilities can continue to

access activity that offers

them new experiences and

new skills, and the chance

to develop their personal

interests. We aim to offer real

engagement that connects

to a wider community so that

lives do not become dull and

restricted.Left – Barter: posters by Leanne Ross

Below – Making Programme: Nicholas Trayner

making laser cut portraits

Through our Socialites

initiative, we give young

people experiences that they

would otherwise have no

access to. Take Brendan, for

example, a young person with

excellent athletic skills but no

social network. He was given

taster sessions of various

challenging sports. When he

visited Waterski Scotland, the

organisation was so impressed

with his natural ability, they

took him on for a year’s work

experience and training.

They say he could compete

professionally one day. His

father says “This might seem

a small thing, but it’s huge

in his life. It has stopped the

family from breaking apart, as

finally he has something he

is good at, something he is

recognised for.”

Below – Sensory workshops: Laura Spring and Amy Kennedy

This applies just as much

to people with profound

learning disabilities. One of

our artists has been working

for an extended period of time

in Bonnyrigg with Natalie, a

young woman with sensory,

physical and learning disabilities.

Working closely with Natalie,

trying out different sensory

activities, consulting with

Natalie’s mother and her

care workers, taking expert

advice from psychologists and

vision specialists resulted in

the making of an interactive

planetarium filled with

sounds and images of nature.

When Natalie’s mother saw

her daughter react to the

finished artwork for the first

time, actively engaging and

interacting with the projected

images and sounds around

her, she was lost for words.

They were both experiencing

something new. Natalie was

having some control over her

surroundings, while her mother

realised that Natalie could learn

new skills through these new

experiences.

Below – Ideas team: Steve Hollingsworth and Natalie Thompson

We also work with the care

workers involved with people

with learning disabilities. It is a

demanding role, and people

can often be stressed, over-

worked and in need of new

ways of thinking. Artlink have

provided a series of classes for

staff at daycare centres – from

slapstick clowning to relaxation

exercises, and talks on coping

with negative behaviours.

We lift spirits and encourage

new ideas and stronger

working bonds. It benefits the

workers and in turn, it benefits

people with learning disabilities

and their families.

Right –Sensory workshops: Kevin McPhee with functional artworks for Richard Fortune

Right top – Ideas Team: Wendy Jacob working with carers on collected sounds.

Right bottom –Ideas Team:

Wendy’s sound balloon prototype

This page – Ideas Team: Kelly Dobson’s early designs for time pods

New technology offers

some very exciting ways to

interact with people who have

difficulty with usual forms of

communication.

We are working with artists

and scientists linked to MIT

Boston and other universities

to bring cutting edge

developments into our work

– machines that slow down

perception, that communicate

through vibration, that help

us to experience the world

in fresh ways or provide new

ways to interact with it. The

potential is enormous, and we

are dedicated to improving lives

through exploring these sorts of

innovations.

The idea of community is that

we hold each other up, that by

creatively supporting others,

we are also sustained and

energized. By seeing the world

through another set of eyes

and opening ourselves to the

experiences of people different

from ourselves, we get to live

more fully.

This page –Sensory workshops:performance propsdesigned by Kat Murray

Artlink has been working in

the area of arts and access in

Midlothian for 25 years. These

are just some samples of our

activities in your area, to find

out more about our work, in

Midlothian and elsewhere, go to

www.artlinkedinburgh.co.uk

If your organisation would like

to become involved in our

Barter project, please contact

Kara Christine

kara@artlinkedinburgh.co.uk

0131 229 3555

Artlink, 13a Spittal Street,

Edinburgh, EH3 9DY

Artlink would like to thank:

The Action Group, Barnardos,

Our community Barter partners,

Laura Aldridge, Onya Attridge,

Claire Barclay, Annabel Barnett,

Mina Braun, Maike Browning,

Kirstyn Cameron, Jim Colquhoun,

John Connell, Gemma Cruells,

Liz Davidson, Kelly Dobson,

Chauffeur Drive, Malcy Duff, Susan Dunn,

The Dunn Family, Gordon Dutton,

All our Friday Fest Musicians, Jo Foley,

Places for People support staff,

Rachael Forbes, Brenda and Richard

Fortune, Lauren Fox, Rosemary Frew,

Agnes Goodsir, Alexa Hare,

Lauren Hayes, Steve Hollingsworth,

Dawn Horley, Vivien Horn, David and

Jean Hunter, Allan Irvine, Wendy Jacob,

Gail Keating, Anna Krzeczkowska,

Kingsley Liversage, Emily Martin,

Scott McCallum, Ben McGill and family,

Duncan McIntyre, Jacqueline McKinna,

James McLardy, Kevin McPhee,

Loraine McPherson, Emily Millichip,

Maggie Mowbray, Helen Moyes,

Kat Murray, Francesca Nobillucci,

Katie Orton, Jon Owen,

Marcin Pietruszewski, Charlotte Prodger,

The 200 people who take part in our

workshops, Tommy Perman,

Priscilla Pratt, Fran Priest, Jackie Quinn,

Edward Reid, Richmond Fellowship

Scotland staff, Lynda Rowan, Saltersgate

School, Epilepsy Scotland, John Skouse,

Kjersti Sletteland, Gayle Smith,

Jenny Smith, Laura Spring,

ELCAP staff and management,

Joan Seaton, St Joseph’s Services staff,

Neil Stewart and CAT team staff,

Dawn Stoddart, Mary Sturrock,

Nicola Sturrock, Brenda Thompson,

Nathalie Thomspon, Tim Vincent-Smith,

Audrey Watson, Miriam Walsh, Caro Weiss,

Dr Robert Walley and the CLDT team,

Nicola White, Ruth Whittles, June Wilson,

Mark Wilson, Sonja Witts.

Front cover – Sensory workshops: Laura Aldridge and Donna Hunt