Loneliness project tackles social isolation within the Tees Valley

MIMA, Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art, part of Teesside University, are pleased to announce funding from Arts Council England to deliver a programme of creative and cultural activity tackling loneliness and social isolation. Part of a national initiative Celebrating Age, the project addresses the impact of Covid-19 during the 2021 winter months.

PS We Miss You project offers a creative mix of digital and distanced workshops, postal interventions, and a series of ‘Doorstep Portraits’ that serve and celebrate adults, elders, family, and caregivers from the Tees Valley. The programme is for the over 55s and is designed to engage residents living in supported housing, independent living, and homes for older people with Thirteen Housing, North Star Housing Group and MIMA’s long-term communities and groups.

This new work builds on MIMA’s extensive programmes with elders and their caregivers to date. Through the first phase of Celebrating Age (2017 to 2020), MIMA galvanized the skills of artists, arts professionals and staff and volunteers in partner organisations to develop a series of artful activities with Middlesbrough’s older residents and their carers.

Angela Corner, Head of Community Resilience at Thirteen, said: “Thirteen has a longstanding history of collaborating with MIMA to encourage older people to engage in creative activities as a tool to help happy ageing. We are developing a full programme of work around how we support our customers to live well, and this project is a fantastic way of contributing to that.

“Working together again, we’ll support the delivery of a series of activities with Thirteen’s older residents addressing isolation and loneliness resulting from the impact of Covid-19.

“This exciting partnership is part of a portfolio of activities. A formal memorandum of understanding has been agreed between Thirteen and Teesside University which will see us work together to raise aspirations and enrich the lives of those we work with across the Tees Valley. “

Coral Smith, Community Connector, North Star Housing Group comments: “It’s an exciting time to be working in partnership with MIMA on a series of Doorstep Portraits that capture and document life following lockdown and the experiences of residents and families living in North Star accommodation. These images are a glimpse into the lives of local residents and the North Star Housing Group community, revealing what or who helped them cope in lockdown.”

Elinor Morgan, MIMA’s Head of Programme, adds: “MIMA is committed to putting art into action. By this we mean that we work with artists and communities to make projects and approaches that bring about social change. We’re passionate about social connectivity; we seek opportunities to bridge social gaps and we know that making and engaging with art improves wellbeing. We support partners to work creatively and to build art into their work so that people in the Tees Valley experience thoughtful services and opportunities to engage with artful ideas and activities.”

Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art – MIMA – connects art, people and ideas. MIMA is an international art gallery and museum. It commissions, collects and re-thinks modern and contemporary art. MIMA makes creative, civic space and works closely with local and global partners to put art into action and builds public participation. A cultural and community hub, ethics of equity, diversity and inclusion drive MIMA’s work. Part of Teesside University, MIMA is powered by a vision to positively contribute to society.

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