A GROUP in Reading has taken the runner-up spot in a national awards scheme celebrating creative projects.
The Engine Room, an arts collective which helps residents tackle mental health challenges through artistic endeavour, was named as runner-up in the Creative Lives Awards 2024.
It comes after their SoundLab project captured the day-today noises experienced around the Dee Park housing estate and the nearby woodlands, exploring the impact of ambient noise on residents.
The group is run by 20 volunteers, who worked on the project in partnership with the British Science Association.
Overall, 34 groups from around England, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales were shortlisted, with a winner and a runner-up from each nation selected.
The Engine Room came runner-up in England to Wiltshire-based Trowbridge Service Users Group, a peer support group also for people experiencing mental health difficulties.
They work to create space for people to explore creative outlets which help them tackle mental health challenges, explore their own empowerment, and nurture their skills.
Lisa-Marie Gibbs from The Engine Room said: “We are so delighted to win this Creative Lives Award and indebted to the amazing people who collaborate with us.
“The Engine Room is a collaborative arts and mental health project that nurtures individual perspectives through a collective vision.
“We believe the connections we make across communities, give back the balance of power to those voices that are all too often underrepresented.”
Robin Simpson, Chief Executive of Creative Lives said: “The Creative Lives Awards consistently reveal the extraordinary impact of volunteer-led creative groups.
“This year’s winners demonstrate–yet again–the vital role such groups play in building stronger, more resilient communities. At a time when so many are experiencing isolation and uncertainty, these groups offer a lifeline of connection, shared purpose and joy.”
The UK Government’s Arts Minister, Sir Chris Bryant said: “Finding the time and space to be creative can allow people of all ages and backgrounds to use their imaginations and create beautiful artwork, write thought provoking poetry and express themselves through music and dance, for example.
“That’s why we want to ensure everyone has the opportunity to get creative, not just the privileged few.
I would like to offer a special congratulation to The Engine Room, the runners-up of the England Award and say thank you to all the groups shortlisted for this year’s Creative Lives Awards for the work they do improving and transforming lives in communities across the country.”
More details about The Engine Room are available via: risingsunartscentre.org/events/engine-room
