Here Comes the Sun is a collaborative quilt project initiated by artist Lois Blackburn during the Covid-19 pandemic. It features contributions from 108 participants across ages and backgrounds, all creating sun-themed squares representing resilience and hope. The project emphasizes inclusion and community, fostering connections through creativity despite isolation.

The project, commissioned by St Helens MBC, engaged isolated older adults in creative activities like poetry and art across various community sites. Through workshops, participants transformed memories into expressive artworks, resulting in important installations, including a poem in icing sugar. It culminated in a community garden party, celebrating resilience and connection.

The Making Memories project, led by artist Lois Blackburn and poet Philip Davenport, developed a creative book with activities for older individuals, including those with dementia. It aimed to stimulate creativity through engaging objects, fostering connection and expression. Funded by Barings Foundation, it served 394 participants in Oldham.

The arthur+martha “history” quilt project highlights overlooked lives of the homeless through embroidered stories on recycled denim. Collaborating with artists, participants answered poignant questions about warmth and shelter, challenging stereotypes and promoting understanding. The quilts have reached large audiences, emphasizing shared human needs and preserving personal histories through touch.

The first-ever history of British homelessness, told in a library of 70 books handmade by people with experience of homelessness. The books describe lived experience in interviews, poetry, and art. They were exhibited at the Houses of Parliament, the Southbank, Brighton Dome, and Manchester Central Library.

A BOOK OF OURS, an arthur+martha project, was “an ancient manuscript for our time”.  It tells the inside story of contemporary homelessness. It uses the form of medieval illuminated manuscripts and focuses on the Book of Hours.

Oldham’s recovery community created their own art encouraging participants to investigate individual journeys of recovery. The ancient tradition of amulets and talismans served as inspiration.