Arts Project
We believe that creative expression can be instrumental not only in the recovery process from trauma but in exploring identity and having your voice heard. It can also be great fun!!
The Rees Foundation Arts Project is an ever evolving, exciting project encouraging anyone with care experience to become involved.

Current Projects 2020

Christmas Cards 2020
Design Competition

Submission deadline: 24th October 2020
Winning designs to be announced during National Care Leavers Week 2020 (26th October – 1st November).
We are looking for three new card designs this Christmas, and who better to design them than you!!!

The Brief...
  • We are looking for designs from ANYONE with care experience.
  • You DON’T need to be an experienced artist to enter this competition!
  • The design must be non-religious/non-denominational i.e. Seasons’ Greetings etc.
  • You are welcome to submit as many designs as you wish.
  • Please submit your designs to us no later than 24th October 2020.
  • Three winning designs will be used for the Christmas cards that we share and send to CEPs, organisations, and friends. Artists’ rights reserved. *
  • The cards we produce will be available for purchase and the income will be used to support care leavers in need!
  • The people who submit the three winning designs will each receive £50 worth of Love2Shop vouchers and a bundle of other prizes!
  • We may be able to assist with the purchase of art materials if required. Find out more here.

Send photos of designs to: kim.cormack@reesfoundation.org
Or call us if you have any questions on 0330 094 5645

Create It!
A creative challenge for all Care Experienced people. 

Create it is an online project for ALL care experienced people: regardless of age, background or level of skill. In response to the UK lockdown in March, and understanding the potential risk to the mental health of Care experienced people, we launched Create it. Our aim is to create an online hub for Care experienced creatives. Check out #ReesCreateIt to see how we have done.

We have now updated the challenge as follows:
Every MONTH we will be sharing a selection of prompts that are there to inspire creative work IF you need it. I.e. you can submit anything you want on any subject; the prompts are just there to help. You well then have a month to create it something and send it to us. It can be poetry, filmed spoken word, music, acting, dance, art, photography or sculpture etc.

Your work will always remain yours. You can upload your work yourself on to Instagram, Twitter, and/or Facebook but be sure to tag us @reesfoundation and use #reescreateit. You can also share anonymously by emailing your work to our Arts Project Coordinator : kim.cormack@reesfoundation.org.

Want to get involved but have questions or need financial help with arts materials? We can often help so give us a call on 0330 094 5645 or email us: contactus@reesfoundation.org.
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Prompts 9
31st August – 30th September 2020

Theme: What brings you joy? Use this as a basis

Spoken Word - Mr Doradea: Confessions of a foster child
Performance Art - Marina Abramovic: The Artist is present

Centre Stage
Jarone Macklin

Centre stage is a platform for care experienced individuals to share their journey, achievements and message. We, at the Rees Foundation, understand the importance of representation and accessibility and hope that these interviews offer an insight into how care leavers get into their chosen creative medium and the issues they can sometimes face.
Our sixth interviewee is Jarone Macklin. 
Jarone is a 31-year-old marketing whizz who currently resides in Norfolk with his partner. At the time of our interview (17th July 2020) Jarone, like so many others, has been made redundant from his job as a result of the Covid – 19 pandemic. However, it also happens to be a very exciting time for Jarone because his debut novel The Founder Seeds: Awakening has just gone on sale.

Jarone went into care at the age of fourteen, he remembers this clearly because his VHS videos labelled for 15 years and above were taken away from him. He was placed in a residential home where he first encountered positive adult figures, who asked him “What do you want to be when you grow up?” Something that no one had ever asked him before. Jarone says that his experience of residential care was a positive one and is adamant that more positive stories of care be heard, so that other (negative) systems and placements can adapt and improve.
“(Care leavers) have been through something truly horrific, and yet they are still going.”

Education was a particularly difficult journey for Jarone, who has dyslexia, was often seen as having a “problem with authority” and was expelled from school. Without GCSEs or any idea about what he wanted to do with life, Jarone tried his hand at a Building craft and operative course at College. When his teacher suggested he try out Performing Arts instead.

Jarone went on to study Acting at the revered Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts and acted professionally for many years. Jarone is a method actor, which means that he uses his own personal experiences to get into character. As a result. He has found that playing “bad guys” has been cathartic and therapeutic for him.

It is widely agreed that the Arts opens doors to many careers and skill sets, which Jarone wholeheartedly agrees with, having worked in Business, Marketing, Education and Public speaking.
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After sustaining a life changing injury in a Football match, Jarone was forced into a period of self-isolation and reflection. His says that many days it was almost impossible to mentally get out of bed, let alone physically. But then, he started to write his first novel.

The Founder Seeds: Awakening is a multi-genre novel: fantasy, sci-fi and auto biographical. The book follows protagonist John, who is also care experienced, on a journey of self-discovery.

"I hope to inspire people to embrace who they are, and not feel like they have to hide their past in the shadows. It's our history that gives us knowledge and strength to be who we are supposed to be. So hopefully my books and other creative pursuits can help achieve that for others.

Watch the video interview and a short reading of The Founder Seeds: Awakening here.
Fancy a FREE copy of the book? Check out the current competition here. 

You can purchase The Founder Seeds : Awakening for Kindle, hardback, paperback and in large print, here.
Find out more about Jarone here or follow him on social media : Instagram: @jmp_the_founder_seeds_author Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheFounderSeeds Twitter: @founderseeds
If you would like careers, education and training advice, in the Arts sector or otherwise, Rees can help!
Call our freephone number on 0330 094 5645 Drop us an enquiry via contactus@reesfoundation.org
Or for Arts Sector advice specifically, contact our Arts Project Coordinator via kim.cormack@reesfoundation.org

Imagine Project
for Refugee Week

UPDATE: We are still arranging for interviews to take place via phone and Skype for participants who would like to take part. Although it is likely that the finished performance and National Refugee Week 2020 itself will be postponed, we are still working on our verbatim script.

We are looking for care experienced asylum seekers and refugees who are willing to share their experiences with us. These first-hand accounts will be compassionately adapted into monologues and part of a unique new play to be performed in honour of Refugee Week 2020.

Have your story heard
Interviews are on an informal basis and we can work around you. In some cases, we can help with travel costs to whichever venue you choose to have your interview. These will be audio recorded.
You do not need to perform your monologue, but you can if you want. Let us know.
You can remain anonymous if you wish.
Actors callouts to follow.

How it works: If you are someone you know is interested in this project, please contact our Arts Projects Coordinator: kim.cormack@reesfoundation.org

Arts Exhibition 2020
Painting. Art Installation. Photography. Poetry.

UPDATE : In light of the current Coronavirus pandemic, we are postponing plans to organise the exhibition itself, HOWEVER, we are still supporting the care experienced community in accessing art materials and encouraging all creative CEP to use their talents whilst at home. We would love to see what you are working on!

After the huge success of our Art and Poetry Exhibitions in 2019 (see link to brochure below), we are planning a bigger, better exhibition this year. If you are care experienced (any age) and would like to have your talents showcased free of charge, please do get in touch! We can assist in the purchasing of arts materials as well offering 1-2-1 guidance, support and brainstorming.

Please contact: kim.cormack@reesfoundation.org
2019 Projects & Gallery click here

Get involved!

If you would like to have more information, or if you would like to pitch an idea relating to any of the arts (Fine art, poetry, writing, photography, drama, art etc) please contact our Arts Project Coordinator : kim.cormack@reesfoundation.org