Community Projects
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Jan Nimmo has worked in community and issued based art for many years. The aim of this work is to enable anyone who wishes to address an issue or express their views to do so through artistic means - even if they do not consider themselves to be artists. Jan's philosophy is that everyone in a group can be involved and contribute something to the project and her workshops are carried out in an encouraging and relaxed atmosphere where all participants have a chance to get involved, have a voice and to be surprised at what they are able to produce with a little help!
Volunteer, Ann Gray and Finished Banner
Jan's latest Art for Action bannner workshop took place at RaPAL's (Research and Practice in Adult Literacy) annual conference at the University of Glasgow. She was accompanied by CTDU volunteer, Ann Gray. visit RaPAL
Jan works as community artist with CTDU (Community Training Development Unit, Forth Valley, Scotland). Working with CTDU has mainly entailed facilitating banner-making sessions based on issues that are of concern to CTDU "Active Citizens", ranging from disability awareness, mental health issues, equality, the war in Iraq, fair and unfair trade as well as the values which represent CTDU. Visit CTDU's Web Page.
Jan has also facilitated workshops and Latin American speaker visits to CTDU in her role as Banana Link's Scottish Co-ordinator. She led a series of banner-making workshops linking Forth Valley Active Citizens with banana workers in Ecuador. Two banners were produced: one in English and the other in Spanish. The English Languague version of the banner is kept as an awareness raising resource and the Spanish one was presented to FENACLE (Federation of Small Farmers, Indigenous Peoples and Banana Workers), Banana Link's partner in Ecuador. This took place when Guillermo Touma, president of FENACLE visited CTDU. The Ecuadorian banner has been displayed at the COLSIBA (Latin American Banana Workers' Trade Union Co-ordinating Council) 10th Conference in Guayaquil as well as at the Ecuadorian Trade Union Congress in Quito. Thanks to working with CDTU Jan has developed links with other groups such Women Supporting Women, Pilton Health Project (Edinburgh), Stirling Multicultural Partnership and WEA (Workers' Education Association).
Jan is also one of the members of CTDU Associates who ara a group of freelance development workers who are all firmly committed to CTDU's ways of working with people to encourage community involvement and community action. CTDU Associates' Web Page
Jan has worked with Artlink in Edinburgh as part of the Art of Change project in both Gogarburn Hospital and at the Artlink studios in Leith. She has also worked on various hospital projects through Artlink Central.
Jan has recently worked on community projects with young people in Clackmananshire, with Glasgow Braendam Link, with Friends of the Earth Scotland and the Cofan People of Ecuador, and has just completed a project with Pilton Social Inclusion Partnership. She is currently working on a participatory evaluation video with CTDU active citizens.
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© Jan Nimmo 2005
