I have a long standing association with the Milestones Trust. As an organisation they provide nursing and Residential Care in around 50 homes in the Bristol area and provide support to people with learning disabilities and mental health needs, including dementia.
Milestones has a specific organisation called 'Expressions' to encourage, support and promote the use of creativity both within its staff and with its myriad of uses. I run their photographic projects and work with a very wide range of abilities. The charity’s vision is to help people to achieve their own ambitions (‘Milestones’), and live the lives they choose. Milestones also values the experience of its staff and as such I also work with them, often the activities staff, to help them to develop their ideas to use with their service uses and also to develop their own creativity.
The photos below are of some of the work shown at the past two 'Festivals of Creativity' this is a big annual exhibition and generally a wonderful, active and very busy 4 to 5 day event. It showcases the work that has been produced all year and also runs all sorts of workshops, activities and shows for lots of people to get involved with.
Some of the Photographic work on show in 2010.
There were zigzag narrative books, canvases of collected photographs of hands doing all sorts of busy daily activities, a fantastic set of postcards, by Dave and his carer Jim, wittily commenting on various predicaments one faces when using a wheelchair and some great David Hockney style photo montages.
Here are a few pictures showing some of the photography work from the 2012 Expressions Festival
