Cath Giles – Sessional Artist

i have been working with the Creativity In Care team since 2014. I’m a dance and visual artist, and have my own community dance company Isabella Dance. My background includes art therapy, physical theatre and performance. I have extensive experience of working with people with additional support needs. I have also choreographed performance pieces with Creativity In Care, and work closely with the team in social engagement processes and facilitating arts sessions in care and community settings, including our deeply sensitive work in family homes.

  • What brings me joy?
    Dancing, creating with people, walking in the woods, grandchildren.
  • Favourite creative medium:
    Dance/movement, poetry, collage, mixed media (hard to choose one!)
  • Five words to describe myself:
    Creative, Colourful, Determined, Scattered, People-person.

Chris Lea – Sessional artist

I’ve been with Creativity In Care since 2013, starting out as a volunteer. I did a year’s City and Guilds course in craft and design, and continue updating my skills in using a wide range of techniques linked with fabrics. My background includes being a countryside ranger, running all-year guided walks. I also ran a therapeutic walking holiday venture for a few years when I was based on the West Coast. I love working with Creativity In Care, and especially seeing what people get out of it, and the difference it makes.

  • What brings me joy?
    I love being in nature, walking. Gardening. Being with people.
  • Favourite creative medium:
    Textiles. I love going on textile courses too.
  • Five words to describe myself:
    Adaptable, Creative, Energetic, Resilient and Resourceful
  • A favourite quote:
    ‘If nothings changes, nothing changes’

Chris King (Mr Chris) – Community Artist

I have been with Creativity In Care since the beginning. My background is in acting, performance arts and visual arts. I have a PDA distinction for Arts Education in Practice and enjoy facilitating creative and kinaesthetic learning experiences with people of all ages and abilities. I worked in care for a few years and enjoy making things as accessible as possible, so everyone can participate. Every year I frame and hang the exhibition work. I love everything we do from stage work to visual arts programmes and the shared creative process. More recently I’ve been preparing our Kit Caboodles with regular trips to the post office. 

  • What brings me joy?
    I love being out walking in nature. Doing my own art brings me joy. I also love thinking about the joy people experience from our kits!
  • Favourite creative medium?
    Mixed media collage. Drama and puppetry.
  • Five words to describe myself:
    Creative, Optimistic, Inventive, Adaptable, Empathic 
  • My favourite quote is by Albert Einstein:
    ‘Imagination is more important than knowledge, for knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world.’

Karrie Marshall – Project Manager

I founded Creativity In Care because my practice research showed that creativity, with compassion, makes a positive difference in health and social care. My background is in nursing, care management, person-centred counselling, lecturing in health & social care, consultancy work and developing social enterprises. I feel I am constantly learning the meaning of equalities. I love developing projects with individuals and communities, which build resilience and self-governance. I’m a published author about creativity in dementia care, and speak internationally (Canada, Japan, Sweden). about creative engagement and reflective practice.

  • What brings me joy?
    The great outdoors; woodlands and walking. Writing makes me happy and meditation brings me joy. I love seeing how amazing people are.
  • Favourite creative medium?
    Writing (did I mention that?), I would also say  puppetry, poetry, painting, collage, and singing. In another life I would sew.
  • Five words to describe myself?
    Creative, Innovative, Resilient, Intuitive and Aware.
  • My favourite quote is by Buckminster Fuller:
    ‘You never change things by fighting against the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the old model obsolete.’