New Group: Royal William Yard

Want to learn to manage stress in a creative way?

Want to meet new people without feeling awkward?

Want to relax your busy mind, without the practice and discipline needed for meditation?

You just found the easy answer!

Our new art group at 1pm on Friday afternoons at Ocean Studios, Royal William Yard, Plymouth, offers a safe, easy-going space to have coffee, try guided mindfulness and do some art, just for fun. There is absolutely no talent required, so if you haven’t done anything creative since school that’s fine. It really is the taking part that counts. (Sorry for sounding so cliched but it’s true!)

Event Space Ocean Studios

Booking

Booking is essential due to restricted numbers during the pandemic. Message us to confirm your place. The group costs £2.00

If you arrive around 12.45pm you can grab a coffee at the Ocean Studios Cafe, then head upstairs to the Event Space on the right, where you will find Mindful Art Club. You will need to wear a mask to enter the café, but once you are seated at our (socially distanced) art table you can remove your mask for the duration of the group.

How to find us

Ocean Studios, The Factory Cooperage, Royal William Yard, Plymouth PL1 3RP.

Plymouth city centre is 20-minute walk or a 12-minute cycle away. Find us at The Factory Cooperage, opposite Las Iguanas with the red telephone box.

Drive

From Plymouth City Centre take A374 to Durnford Street in Stonehouse. From Cornwall take the Tamar Bridge, A38, A3064, B3396 and A374, continue onto Durnford St until you reach the yard. There are plenty of Pay and Display car parking spaces at Royal William Yard.

Bus

The number 34 bus travels from the city centre and stops at the Royal William Yard roundabout.

Boat

The ferry runs every hour from the Barbican to Royal William Yard, or you can travel from Cornwall on the Cremyll Ferry to Stonehouse.

Read more details about accessibility at Ocean Studios.

Feeling unsure? Send us a message and we can chat. We’d love to see you there.

How to Reduce Stress in 8-Weeks (or Less!)

Do you suffer from stress or worry?

Want to practice art for self-care?

Looking for a fun and easy way to learn mindfulness?

Then you’re going to love our new 8-week wellbeing course!

We’ve been testing this course out on a small group of people who agreed to give us feedback on the course content. Here’s what they told us;

The ‘work’ we did with Emma and Peggy in the group gently helped us to listen to ourselves and each other.
On the surface the art projects are simple, and the mindfulness gentle….. but I allowed myself to let go of preconceptions and BE IN THE MOMENT within the group. I was amazed at how my child-like art work was just what I needed to get in touch with my inner healing me.
The mindful training got me so interested, that I now start my day with mindful meditation.
As with most groups you get out as much as you put in… I have ‘worked hard’. I have listened and shared, and supported other members of the group. I am leaving with mindfulness a part of my daily life, and am more confident in trying new art practices. I also have a new set of friends.
Wellbeing Course Student

The next course begins on 17th November 2020, in Plympton, at The Rees Centre. Places are very limited due to Covid-19 safety measures, so it will be first-come, first-served. In the New Year 2021 this course will be on sale at £120. However, for this month only we are offering the course at HALF PRICE! £59 for eight weeks, including all of the course materials.

EDIT: Due to the UK November lockdown this course will now start on 8th December 2020.

We Won a Year’s Business Support From RIO!

We also want to share some other great news that we got onto the Start Something project with the Real Ideas Organisation. We are now linked in with Ocean Studios at the Royal William Yard, which is a beautiful space to hold Mindful Art Club sessions.

RIO were offering 10 free membership packages worth over £3,000 each to entrepreneurial people with ideas that they thought could become brilliant businesses.

The fully funded membership package from Real Ideas gives us access to their co-working spaces, specialist facilities, expert business support mentors and access to events, workshops and one to one coaching.

So, we will be getting some expert business advice, as well as being part of a creative community. It was lovely meeting other creative people at the team event last week and I’m looking forward to developing these relationships.

Good News: Funding!

Some exciting news for Mindful Art Club this week. We have received £250 from Plymouth Octopus Project to help us run our weekly sessions at The Sunflower Women’s Centre, in Plymouth. POP offers support and advice to to the voluntary sector in Plymouth, and have already helped us so much this year with advice on writing our funding bids.

Thanks for your letters of support to enable us to get this funding.

How To Do Art Club When You Don’t Really Want To Go Out

Were you thinking of trying mindfulness?
Does your anxiety prevent you from coming to our groups?
Would you like to feel a little bit calmer and happier?

Here are three ways to try mindful art club, without even getting out of bed!

1) Listen to our free 15 minute recording.

This 15 minute mindfulness recording guides you to bring your attention to experiences happening in the present moment, without judgement. For best results, choose a place where you will not be disturbed, listen with headphones and close your eyes.

Listen Now: Mindful Body Scan

2) Watch a Mindful Art Club Video

If you’re short of time watch one of our quick YouTube videos and join in with a simple art project.

If you have an hour to spare, join in with one of our online classes. They are all recorded to Facebook in an archive of videos. Each recording includes a guided mindfulness session and instructions for a simple art project that you can do at home with felt tip pens and plain paper. Art Club Catch-Up TV. It’s like being at Mindful Art Club, but without leaving your house! (You could even stay in your pyjamas!)

3) Try Mindful Colouring

I know, I know. When I first heard of “adult colouring books” I thought it sounded like a ridiculous idea! But it’s amazing how the simple act of colouring can calm the mind down. I have designed a few mindful art colouring pages around the theme of “I am enough” using a little egg character that I created. His caption is, “I am an oeuf.” (Oeuf is French for egg.) The oeuf character makes me smile. Grab your free colouring pages by signing up to our mailing list, and then we’ll write to you monthly to let you know about our latest free and low-cost events, videos and mindfulness recordings. (You can unsubscribe at any time.)

Month: October 2020