B Creative
B Creative is an arts activism project for young women by young women, working with inspiring female artists.
B BOLD B SEEN B HEARD
B | CARE | FREE - International Women’s Day 2024 - 8 March 2024
We want to live fully, unafraid
Not confined by societal notions of femininity
The pull of expectation, but I sit in-between
Beautiful in unity. We’re joined, we’re together
Hair falling down our backs, hair sheltered in cloth
And our heads held high in action
Freedom in my right to choose, our paths are collective yet diverse
My sisters hear my silent strength
As we craft a haven for our community
A 9-part collective poem, expressed in complementary words and images to mark International Women’s Day 2024 created by B Creative young women working with artists Marysa Dowling and NJ Omorogieva. The images mixes hands, hair and headscarves. It and the group poem which accompanies it are inspired by a shared exploration of hair and what it symbolises, covered and uncovered, in relation to our identity and how we connect with each other and the world.
B | CARE | FREE - 16 DAYS OF ACTIVISM - 25 November - 10 December 2023
To mark the UN international 16 Days of Activism against gender based violence, B CREATIVE published B | CARE | FREE - a positive campaign championing the right of all women and girls to be and feel safe, and by doing so making the whole community safer for everyone.
A new image and poems were published every day on Instagram
from 25/11/23 - 10/12/23
You can download the images to your phone or digital device. Share them with friends and family and on your own Instagram stories. Use them as your phone wallpaper:
COMMUNITY ARE CHOSEN FAMILY - Square | Wallpaper
THE FREEDOM TO BE VULNERABLE - Square | Wallpaper
CONNECTION THROUGH CREATIVITY - Square | Wallpaper
SHARED EXPERIENCE COLLECTIVE STRENGTH - Square | Wallpaper
SISTERHOOD IS A SAFE HAVEN - Square | Wallpaper
EMPATHY IS EMPOWERMENT - Square | Wallpaper
The images were created in a series of workshops with All Change Associate artists and creatives Marysa Dowling and NJ. They will be visible at real life events over the coming weeks worn proudly on T-shirts and gifted as cards for the community at public events.
AUTUMN 2023
B A BOLD BRAVE WONDER WOMAN
Make original art work & stage extraordinary events
Get exclusive access & insight into London’s arts, culture & creative industries
Learn about different career opportunities
Develop & contribute your creative skills
Make your voice heard | B the change | B the difference
Work with inspiring artists
illustration | creative writing | photography | poetry
digital arts | zine making | performance | protest
When:
Weekly on Thursday evenings, starting 12 October 2023
with PIZZA
+ some Saturday outings to arts & cultural places & spaces
Where:
27 Dingley Place, London EC1V 8BR
(Tube – Old Street; Buses – 43. 205, 214, 141, 271
FREE ADMISSION | BOOKING ESSENTIAL
To register your interest and for more information
Email: projects@allchangearts.org
Call/Text: 07949 861284
Keep an eye on Instagram for news, updates and artwork: @bprojectlondon
Check out 10 Creative Writing Activities from Associate Artist Cecilia Knapp.
B Creative welcomes all young people aged 16-25 who identify as young women, including d/Deaf, disabled and neurodivergent young women, LGBTQ+ young women, and young women from global majority and ethnically diverse backgrounds.
Photos by Marysa Dowling
The project was launched in 2011, in response to the fact that at that time only half as many young women as young men were participating in out of school activities in Islington. Since then, All Change has engaged teams of young women aged 16-25 in paid Young Creative roles to co-produce the project alongside inspiring professional female artists responding to the needs, wishes and interests of young women. To date, B has provided paid roles for 26 young women (aged 15-25).
Young women have worked with a host of inspiring female artists including: - Eska Mtungwazi [Mercury Prize nominee 2015], Kat Francois, Marysa Dowling, Fran Lobo, Cecilia Knapp, Sarah Blanc, Kate Scanlan and more. Work is delivered in partnership with exceptional arts companies including: - Today at Apple - Made in London, Autograph ABP, Candoco Dance Company, Culture Mile London, Furtherfield and Park Theatre - offering young women opportunities to develop skills, broaden horizons, create and share original work, and a platform to explore and express their voices and ideas.
Young women have made photography, poetry, dance, performance and music work about issues that matter to them and shared their work with public audiences in arts settings, public spaces and online. Young women have performed poetry and songs at WORD festival events in Islington, and created powerful public facing festivals of Arts Activism, including events at Autograph ABP, Park Theatre, Furtherfield, the Apple Store in Covent Garden and on Instagram TV. Over its lifespan, the project has received funding from Islington Council, Islington Giving, Apple (2020) and a 3-year grant from the Mayor of London’s Young Londoners Fund (2018).
Photo by Lauren Matthews
Past projects….
FANTASTIC FUTURES FESTIVAL - AUTUMN 2022
A unique programme and opportunity for young women to gain insight into careers in the creative industries, with exclusive access to some of London’s top cultural organisations including: QUENTIN BLAKE CENTRE FOR ILLUSTRATION behind-the-scenes tour and a chance to meet women who run the organisation | WEEKLY ZOOM workshops with professional women artists | ALMEIDA THEATRE pre-show talk with women who work at the theatre followed by free tickets to seeThe Clinic a fiercely political play by Dipo Baruwa-Etti | FANTASTIC FUTURES SATURDAY SESSION an afternoon of workshops, conversation and networking with SPECIAL GUEST women artists, activists and creatives | AUTOGRAPH ABP a visit to meet the women who work at the gallery, followed by an exclusive tour of The Island exhibition by Monica de Miranda | an exciting collaboration with ART NIGHT and MUSEUM OF LONDON who presented a new performance commission by Tai Shani at Fabric Nightclub accompanied by a dedicated creative engagement programme developed in collaboration with All Change, led by arts educator and creative producer Dhiyandra Natalegawa, consisting of a series of participant-led workshops with young women from B Creative and creative outcomes, shaped around the key themes and creative approaches in Shani’s work.
APPLE - MadeinLDN_SpeakOut - SUMMER 2020
In summer 2020, as part of a partnership between All Change and Today at Apple - young women aged 16-25 from our B Creative project and Hounslow Action for Youth (HAY) came together for MadeinLDN_SpeakOut. They created a powerful showcase of original poetry and photography - working with All Change #Associate Artists Cecilia Knapp, Marysa Dowling, Fran Lobo and Tony Nwachukwu to bring their work together, supported by the #TodayatApple team. Originally broadcast LIVE on Instagram TV on 17 September 2020 - the showcase can now be viewed on Vimeo: