In mid-November, I was very lucky to join the Grimm & Co team as their new Creative Learning Manager for out of schools’ activities – and my first project is working with the brilliant Moat Brae to create a magical travel guide! I’m not sure where this amazing streak of luck came from in 2020, but I’m going to hold onto it with all my might!
This collaboration is a first for Moat Brae and Grimm, so I find myself asking, what brings organisations, communities and people together – what is it that keeps us coming back for more even though we’ve created wonderful things in the past? I think the answer is the happiness that creative work brings, and the happiness that working with new people brings.
Spreading our wings, taking that step into the unknown and saying – “hey, do you want to be my friend?” is where a lot of our lives began – for some people it’s the easiest thing in the world, for others, it’s one of the hardest things to do. For me, forming new creative relationships is a little like asking somebody to be your friend – will they like my ideas, can I bring the right energy to the room, what if I make a ridiculous suggestion??
I have found that most people and organisations that want to collaborate, to form those special and exciting new relationships, are endlessly open to ideas, regardless of how polished they are. Being open to ideas means we can be open to new experiences, new friendships, and extra moments of happiness.
As we move into 2021, and Grimm & Co and Moat Brae get to work with a new cohort of young people, bringing together two sides of an ancient border, I am excited at the possibilities for creation – and to see where the new year takes us!
by Katie Turner, Creative Learning Manager (out of schools)
The workshop programme with Moat Brae will take place online, on Thursdays, from January to March. The young people will work with professional writers and illustrators to create a book that will be published for all to enjoy.
For more information about Moat Brae, please visit their website – peterpanmoatbrae.org.
