Welcome to re:imagine.
re:imagine is a new co-creation art project for adults living in the North East of England.
The two-year re:imagine art project started in September 2023, and opened a creative space for up to seven potential participants, and soon-to-be creative associates, to use art to interrogate the personal impact of adverse life experiences.
This website contains information to learn more about the re:imagine project, our creative associates, and the project’s progress to date.
This site is also available in Arabic, Urdu, and Hindi. Use the drop down icon at top of the page to view this page in your preferred language.
-The re:imagine team
Images from the offical re:imagine Instagram page.
Comments can be found by clicking the bottom right dot on smartphones.
@reimagineartproject (link opens in a new window*).
*See our information about links to third-party websites here.
Phase 1: Workshops
Phase 1 uses partner-led, multi-disciplinary workshops, counselling, and reflective practice to enable our creative associates to collectively examine the personal impact of adverse life experiences.
Phase 2: Creation
Phase 2 creates a space to gain knowledge of the creative industries and to individually explore and develop a creative medium that reimagines adverse personal life experiences.
Phase 3: Exhibition
Phase 3 uses a group exhibition and a creative associate-led workshop to establish a communal and creative re-imagined structure that can be adopted throughout life.
Our Open Call..
No prior experience of making art, or working within the creative industries, was required to participate in re:imagine as one of our creative associates. Anyone over the age of 18 and based in the North East of England was able to apply.
However, the re:imagine project sought to take steps towards positive action to address underrepresentation within the creative arts. Positive action* is used to meet a group’s particular needs, lessen a disadvantage they might experience, or increase their participation in a particular activity.
Therefore, applications for the re:imagine project were particularly encouraged from individuals who identify with two or more of the ‘additional’ criteria as outlined on drop menu on this page. Many of these characteristics are statistically underrepresented** in the North East of England.
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North East 2021 ONS census demographics by economic activity show 44% of people in the North East are economically inactive. This includes 5.7 % of people identified as long term sick or disabled, and 3 % unemployed. These figures recognise the North East to be a region of socio-economic disadvantage.
Therefore, to be considered for the re:imagine project, creative associates had to live in the North East of England.
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Generation X covers children born in the mid-1960s and early 1980s growing up in landscape of political, social, and cultural upheaval. Gen X children faced the rise of the far right, Section 28, privatisation, and the dismantling of the welfare state. Gen X adults today were historically too early to access the widespread emotional and well being support interventions that are currently available.
Therefore, applications from adults aged 40+ were particularly welcomed.
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The project is keen to attract applications from areas of the North East where minority diaspora communities are statistically underrepresented. In the 2021 ONS census, 7% of the North East was categorised as ethnically diverse. This includes, but is not limited to, 1% Black, 1.3 % Mixed Heritage, and 3.7% Asian.
Therefore, applications from individuals from a Black, Asian, or minority diverse ethnic background, were particularly welcomed.
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North East 2021 ONS census demographics by sexuality show significant under-representation. 1.6% of the North East identifies as Gay or Lesbian, 1.2% as Bisexual, and 0.2% identifies as other sexual orientations.
0.5% of gender identities are different from those assigned at birth.
Therefore, applications from individuals who identify as LGBTQIA+ were particularly welcomed.
**More information about the North East ONS Census data can be found here (link opens in a new window).
**More information relating to national statistics for the creative industries is available here (link open in a new window).
See our information about links to third-party websites here.
Our four re:imagine creative associates
Our re:imagine creative associates (from L-R) Kim, Sonya, Diane, and Sue. Photographed at the re:imagine launch, October 2023
The project drew scores of applications from across the North East of England. Many of the applications told compelling, urgent stories that detailed the wide range of diverse lived experiences of those wishing to become part of the re:imagine project.
After a challenging selection process for the re:imagine project team, four re:imagine creative associates were finally recruited onto the project; Kim, Sonya, Diane, and Sue.
Our four creative associates have now begun their shared communal journey through education, mentoring, and creativity to examine, and dismantle, maladaptive thinking and behaviours in order to develop and establish a new supportive co-creation art collective.
Use the navigation links at the top of this page to follow Kim, Sonya, Diane, and Sue’s remarkable re:imagine journey on this website. You can also keep updated with re:imagine events on the official re:imagine Instagram page @reimagineartproject (link opens in a new window*).
*See our information about links to third-party websites here.