Introducing: Miss Baines
“Through Miss Baines I want to inject a sense of fun, joy and connection between people living on Ryelands estate and improve wellbeing through creativity.”
Miss Baines (Louise Gibbons) has been visiting Ryelands council estate and primary school over the last academic year – here’s what she’s been up to!
Miss Baines started out in care homes where residents and primary school children were invited to join in and build relationships with one another to lessen feelings of isolation for older people through a creative vintage themed performance and activities.
Ludus Dance invited Louise to reimagine the work on the Ryelands estate (where the real-life character of the show Miss Baines worked in the 30s) with the people who currently live and work there as a tool to improve wellbeing by levelling up access to publicly funded art.
Louise consulted with residents of Ryelands Estate including children, families, older people, and Ryelands School staff, to consider how the existing dance performance might serve the community and help people in the school and surrounding council estate to get creative. As a result, the current Miss Baines project provides accessible opportunities for children, families and older people, who don’t usually access publicly funded arts, to get creative through workshops and a performance on the estate.
During the Summer holiday on the school grounds and around the estate, there will be a range of creative activities to get involved in for all ages, such as dance, crafting, and music. There will also be the chance for local residents to get involved and learn new skills through voluntary and paid roles.
After the Summer break, Miss Baines will return to the school to continue creative activities for the pupils in preparation for a public promenade performance in late September which travels from the estate to the school – get ready for more music, dancing, and handmade crafts!
A consultation process with the local school and resident association uncovered the thoughts and feelings of Ryelands residents and the hope for improving the life experiences for the children growing up on the estate. As culture can positively impact the lives of people in all sorts of ways, the project has been developed to have a positive impact on the community so it might contribute to post pandemic regeneration.
Miss Baines aims to imprint a collective cultural memory within the place located in the hearts of the residents who experience the project. The impact the work has on the future outcomes of the people who take part will be monitored, through the ‘Place-Based National Research Project’ which Miss Baines is a part of with Culture Counts and Ludus Dance.
