Creative Doodle Book: Developing Inclusive Community Arts Engagement during Physical Distancing

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The disruption caused by Covid19 has forced community arts companies to drastically adapt theiractivities. This has been particularly impactful on organisations working with marginalised orvulnerable people, many without the social or economic capital to access digital arts activities.During 'normal' times, the arts have a vital role in supporting resilience through providingopportunities for positive creative expression. During the Covid19 crisis, it is even more vital tofind ways for everyone to express their creativity in community contexts.This project will adapt and extend the 'Creative Doodle Book', a hands-on resource developed bythe project PI and Mind the Gap Theatre Company (MTG) in 2019. Through a series of playful tasksand activities, the Doodle Book facilitates creative reflection designed to support personal agency.During May 2020, MTG successfully piloted the at-a-distance delivery of the Doodle Book duringlockdown with their network of learning-disabled artists.Building on these positive early indicators, this project will work with MTG, and access championsTotally Inclusive People, to develop the Doodle Book as a model of inclusive physically distancedpractice. In a blended approach, this will be accompanied by adaptive support and accessibleresources to reach individuals otherwise excluded from digital arts activities. We will work incollaboration with twenty community arts groups, and adopt a train-the-trainer approach toprovide a structure that can be expanded at scale. The project will also provide evidence of therole of creativity in wellbeing and personal agency in times of extreme uncertainty.