Founding Director
Beauty and Utility Arts was founded in Summer 2011 after a decade in the third sector working with adults and children living with mental ill health, dementia and learning disabilities on work including day to day support, Supported Employment and as Fundraiser for the Midlands for a national charity.
In 2005, I was stopped in the corridor by comedian Charlie Chuck who asked if I would like to take a show to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. There’s only one answer to that, and it’s ‘yes’. A dedicated team of 10 adults with learning disabilities and support staff worked hard to make it happen, and the end result was a seven night stint at Venue 45 – most days to a sell out audience.
On day one, there was a line of nervous singers, actors and performers behind me on Princes Street as we handed out flyers. By the last day, confidence was high, conversations with Festival visitors were flowing and there was even talk of approaching De Montfort Hall! That’s when I realised the power of Arts and Health, and everything else has grown since then.
Have a read of this – it explains a lot more
Associates
Associates creative practitioners we work with on a regular basis. They support and inform our work at every level.
Mandeep has worked in printmaking for the past seventeen years, since training in Fine Art at De Montfort University, Leicester. She has previously worked in Museums, across varied roles including using natural history collections as a creative source of inspiration for outreach workshops. Alongside her printmaking practice, Mandeep continues to work with Arts and Heritage Organisations delivering printmaking and bookmaking workshops across the East Midlands and is a member of The Society of All Artists, Leicester Print Workshop and Harborough Artists Clusters
