Who I Am and What We Do

My name is Amy Powell and I am a catalyst for reconnecting people with their innate creativity.

At Bristol Art For All we facilitate friendly, inclusive learning environments where people can explore their creativity. We started in 2015 running a drop in face-to-face community art class in Easton in Bristol since April 2020 sessions have been online.

Online sessions are run in partnership with local charities as well as sessions open to all adults. All online sessions are around a theme selected by the participants, who use the art materials and skills they already have to devise their own projects. Support is on hand to give input on what is made. The sessions act as an online art studio with time for making and opportunities to share and get feedback on artwork.

Participants are seen as artists first with the acceptance that we are all on our own life journeys. The focus is on creating learning environments where people enjoy the process of making. With this strong foundation people can have the confidence and resilience to develop further skills. This website gives a taste of the work made over the course of Bristol Art For All.

I run Bristol Art for All with the support of volunteers. I have built my knowledge, experience and skills by studying courses in art, teaching, facilitation, communication and social enterprise. I currently work with Age UK Bristol and have volunteered for Studio Upstairs, Bristol Art on Prescription, Workers Education Association (WEA), Milestones Expressions programme and St Mungo’s Recovery College where I ran their online art class for three years.

I love being a catalyst for people to reconnect with their creativity. It is a great privilege to have worked with over 200 people across Bristol and beyond. Some have attended for years others for one session but all have been welcome and encouraged in their art making.

I am currently in the process of making Bristol Art For All into an online art school to reach people who would otherwise struggle to access mainstream arts education. I am interested to connect with organisations, which work with clients who would benefit from exploring and developing their creativity with the support of a group.

Below is a video made by St Mungo’s Recovery College about the art class I run for them.

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