- Celebrating-Somersets-Creative-And-Cultural-Practitioners-Cat-Rocca
Celebrating Somerset's Creative & Cultural Practitioners - Cat Rocca
This month we highlight Cat Rocca another artist we have supported through the Creative Ideas Fund. Cat’s project ‘What Is Art Anyway?’ brought twelve people together in The Avalon Centre, Glastonbury, for 3 playful workshops aimed at connecting with the inner child and inner Artist. Participants were between the age of 46 and 80, and most are living with a chronic health condition or physical disability. Following the workshops, they held an exhibition at local art gallery, The Heart of the Tribe, for 10 days. They opened the exhibition with a fabulous launch party, with dress-up, singalongs and cake!
‘What is Art Anyway?’ is the ongoing passion project of Cat Rocca; Glastonbury-based Multi-disciplinary Artist and Youth Worker. The project uses playful movement, singing, and crafting, capturing dreams and desires (as well as the negative self-beliefs standing way of them) to encourage and empower people through connection with their individual creativity and self-expression.
The fund has supported Cat to take her workshops to the next level, collaborating with local Psychotherapist, Crysta Seal, to provide a full short-course with a joyfully ceremonial aspect. Crysta, also on a journey of creative exploration and expansion, brought extra mischief and playfulness to the project, as well as a gentle sensitivity and the offer of one-to-one support for participants.
The sessions were not focused on outcome, but on safety and confidence building, hoping to inspire participants to dream big, and to dare to try something new.
How many of us hold back on our dreams because we’re scared of looking silly, or of being a beginner again? What if Art, despite being de-funded and de-prioritised by our current governmental systems, IS actually important for everyone? What is Art Anyway?
One participant, Zia, answered this question with a wonderful poem:
What is art anyway?
Daring to try, to fly, to make your mark in whatever way
A kind word you say, a way of being, a way of seeing
Authenticity, the courage to be me with no apology
Art is bravery, not slavery to a norm
Not rules of how we should conform.
Art is punk, funk, anarchy
Self expression, a craft, a laugh
A way to be free
Art is you, and art is me
“It is an honour to facilitate such explorative and vulnerable self-work” Cat Rocca.
Both Cat and Crysta were on the journey with the group; discovering more about their own desires and creative blocks along the way. In rural areas so many people, especially those with health conditions and disabilities, may feel isolated and lonely. It was beautiful to observe genuine connections flourishing in the space that they held.
Cat has a long history of working in creative industries, but has spent most of her adult life believing that she could only make work to a brief rather than calling herself an Artist in her own right – a belief instilled in her by art teachers at various levels of “art education”. Now 6 years into what Julia Cameron, author of ‘The Artist’s Way’, calls a Creative Recovery, she has finally allowed herself to begin creating what she really wants to create. Her horizons and perceptions of what is possible for her in her life have dramatically expanded, and as a result she feels so much more empowered and able to be her full self and live a full life, despite living with ME/CFS. Cat feels passionate about helping to facilitate the same sense of confidence and empowerment in others. Crysta also shares the experience of living with a health condition and the understanding of added barriers that chronic illness and disability present, as well as the strength and resilience.
Cat has been designing and delivering similar creative workshops for the past few years to children, teenagers and adults of ranging abilities and disabilities. The playful style of the sessions was inspired by her own experience of clowning and drama, as well as observing the self-consciousness of children as young as 7 during online art workshops she co-created in London in 2020. The children showed low self-confidence when it came to sharing their creations via the screen, and so the workshops were re-created to be playful, self expressive, and embracing of ‘weirdness’/individuality, using painting games and music. The children produced unique, vibrant artwork and showed it with pride and humour. Surely, play is not just for children; it is the birthplace of creativity, and our creativity puts us in touch with our divinity and our unique gifts… and the same techniques have worked just as well for all ages!
“The short-course has been such a success, it feels like there are so many avenues the project could take!” Cat and Crysta worked together beautifully as a team, and a future collaboration is very likely. All participants said that they would definitely do the course again, feeding back that they wanted it to be twice as long, and expressing that the exhibition felt really special to them as none had ever exhibited work in a gallery before. Cat has begun thinking ahead to a possible retreat or intensive course, which she says feels incredibly exciting. The project has given both facilitators and artists a chance to develop their work, for new experiences and the opportunity to create. The project has been inspirational for all involved.
Cat has a passion for working with young people, and one day would love to collaborate with fellow youth workers to re-design the course to appeal to ages 13-16. This feels especially potent as through her Youth Work she has noticed a strong sense of hopelessness and despondency amongst local young people with regards to their future, and their self-esteem in general. Celebration of individuality can lead to more self-empowerment, which in turn can bring about more unity and the ability to imagine (and therefore create) a much brighter future for all of us.
The money received from the Creative Ideas Fund has enabled the project to get off the ground… watch its development here:
Facebook: ‘What is Art Anyway?’
Find Cat’s art, music and storytelling here:
Instagram: @CatRocca @IvyCoed
Find Crysta here: www.healing.parts
Conversations