In relation to the identified priorities in the Guidance & Essential criteria what will your idea achieve and who will benefit from your project?
The Iris Arts will develop a community room that people living locally can call their own. Aligning with local priorities, Adult and Family Learning, Youth Work, Financial Inclusion and Community Development, we can develop a space adjoining our Community studio where people living locally can meet, share and learn. This will provide a space for our Youth Volunteers to meet, learn and create, families to engage in creative learning classes and older people to learn and feel less isolated.
Please describe what you plan to do and what the money will be used for? (i.e., purchase equipment/resources)
We are devloping the former Darlington church, a B listed building, in the heart of Ayr North to create a community hub, a creative learning centre and an accessible community cinema and theatre so that people living locally can engage in creative learning at a reduced cost or for free. This will build confidence in the community and support self esteem amongst people living there who want to learn new creative skills.
We are seeking capital funding to support the development of the space to create an accessible place where people can come together, learn and share. To develop this space we are looking for funding for building work, a new window, flooring, a staff toilet and a joinery work to create desks and shelves for a creative community library, and chairs for groups to sit on.
Funding will allow us to build a room in the former Vestry of a building that has lain derelict for 17 years and complement the development of our community studio so that people can access groups that align with local priorities and make Ayr North a more accessible place to live.
The building sits in an area of high deprivation and many people live in poverty, and are marginalised, have disabilities, face addiction issues and social isolation. Many young people living here are Young Carers and are at risk of entering the criminal justice system. Having a space that they can use to learn means that diversionary activities like film education, film making workshops and creative activities can empower them and lead them to more positive destinations.
By having a space to meet and learn, people living locally can have the opportunity to create valuable work in a space that they can take ownership of and we have a sucessful track record of award winning work created by Young People living here. Having a space for them to learn in will give them the opportunity to meet more regulalry and take pride in their place and work. People can become familiar with the space and have opportunites to volunteer at events taking place in the adjoining studio, creating employability opportunities and supporting Young People to feel empowered. Older people can engage in volunteering opportunites, meet new people, and feel less socially isolated.
We have already received in kind support from the community payback team who have cleared the room out and made it accessible and funding would allow us to develop the space into a useable, functioning space that serves and inspires people living locally. We have received many donations of plays, books and film education texts so buidling a small library space will make it more user friendly and people can access specialist books for creative learning. We have applied for funding for laptops and digital learning equipment and have recently recieved funding for new filmmaking equipment that can be used by people who want to learn and create. We have received funding to develop our community studio that will be open to the public and host events and workshops and by having a dedicated space for learning and meeting, people living locally can engage, volunteer and find the confidence to host their own events and screenings in the adjoining studio
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