Sue leads the arts charity Arts Without Boundaries in West Kent and is passionate about giving everyone an opportunity to express their talents and ideas in a friendly and welcoming environment.
At AwB, we know how important it is to spend time with friendly and supportive people, creating something unique and special together, like music or poetry. We also know that for some people it can be more difficult to join in because of all sorts of barriers. We aim to break down those barriers so that more people can take part.
Arts Without Boundaries (AwB) have a broad range of creative groups that people can join. The charity began by forming a music group called “Band Without Boundaries” which now has around 30 members. Many had never played an instrument before joining but now make music with others once a month and regularly perform at concerts. They also do small group percussion sessions on Zoom which are great fun for the participants.
AwB also run poetry sessions and have performed at two local poetry festivals and an inclusive arts festival.
Their members enjoy getting outdoors so they do photography and craft sessions, collaborating with Sevenoaks Nature Reserve and Kent Wildlife Trust, and are helped out by people from the local camera club.
“Our adult groups are for all abilities and age ranges from 19 to 90! Our amazing workshop leaders make sure that everyone can join in, and we really appreciate all the different ideas and talents that people bring to our groups. The way we run our sessions means that people with physical disabilities, learning disabilities and mental health challenges are able to join with people who don’t have disabilities, and we all learn from each other about new ways of being creative and of bringing out every single person’s skills. That is what makes us so special!”
Here are some of the positive comments left by people who have been involved with Arts Without Boundaries:
“Very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very excellent band!”
“I love making music with Arts Without Boundaries 😊. Tonight, I will be playing the xylophone with them at the Trinity Theatre in Tunbridge Wells. You will not find a more joyful band than this wonderful bunch of people.”
“Such a wonderful organisation, bringing together individuals to collaborate using different mediums, talents and developing new skills and the result is always joyful. Their enthusiasm is infectious and any watching audience will be moved to the occasional tear whilst appreciating a sense of happiness being immersed in the here and now of group participation.”
Arts Without Boundaries are one example of the range of brilliant, varied community groups and enterprises that exist in Kent. Community Catalysts have been supporting new enterprises to develop to increase the variety and range of options for local people looking for care and support.
You can find Arts Without Boundaries and lots of other community enterprises on the Kent Small Good Stuff directory.