Holly Sandiford: Arts Facilitator
“I wanted to be an Arts Therapist”
Even at just 13 years old, Holly Sandiford had a very clear idea of what she wanted to do, even if she wasn’t quite sure what an Arts Therapist was; “my mum was an occupational therapist, but I had never seen an art therapist, I just knew it was a possibility, I knew that I liked to be with people and I knew that I loved art. I am not even sure I knew completely what it was.”
Today, Holly works in arts and well being as a Recovery Through Art Project Coordinator for Keystone Development Trust where she manages a project that works with people in recovery from drug and alcohol addiction. Holly shares her journey from working as a carer in retirement homes at the age of 16-17, to completing a degree and working as an Arts a Facilitator and Project Manager. Although, she adds, “I have had 3 children in between, so it hasn’t been a straight path”.
Having a clear focus from a young age, Holly was able focus on work and volunteering to build up experience, choosing work that she could easily fit around studying but would actually be relevant to what she wanted to do; to become an Arts Facilitator. Between the ages of 13 and 17 Holly volunteered at summer schools, working with children with learning difficulties. During her a levels (in psychology, art and theatre studies) Holly worked in a residential home for the elderly. Although not directly related with art, it gave her a good foundation for the wider skills she would need as an Arts Facilitator.
Holly explains how “people would ask why was I working in an old peoples home”, but she credits that time as where she started bringing her art and care work together. She knew she was heading in the right direction. Having noticed that there were few activities on offer for residents at the elderly care home she was working at, she decided to set up a creative group there. Although she did this voluntarily, “I used to spend my own money and did Easter bonnet parades and creative activities”, this time gave her excellent experience in working on art projects with different types of people.
Having had her first child at 19, Holly’s career took an unusual path; you could almost say simply did things in reverse in comparison to many others, in that she started a family, volunteered, went to university and then started working as an Arts Facilitator.
“I think people take that quite well, because you have that experience, life experience, it helps when working alongside more vulnerable people and helps with managing and supporting staff and volunteers"
Holly stayed at home to raise her three children, but used her time to keep doing as much art related activity as possible, such as making costumes and helping people to make costumes for carnivals, working as a therapy play assistant with young children, and some more support work. Whilst most of this work was voluntary, but Holly credits this for much of the paid work she has since been offered;
“It just shows that you are passionate and dedicated and I couldn’t recommend that more. I think that beyond grades, that kind of passion makes a massive difference”
The first arts and well being professional role that Holly was paid for was doing costume design with young people in a theatre company in Norwich. She explains how this followed on from volunteering making costumes for carnivals and getting experience working with different types of people.
“I think that opened up and taught me that was what I wanted to, I was supporting kids from difficult backgrounds to design and make their own costumes . It was a really good project and I also got involved with helping with the funding and all aspects of project management”
With a confidence boost and solid idea of what she wanted to do, Holly decided to do a degree. At first, she studied a Foundation Degree in Arts and Wellbeing, a two-year course, which she then topped up to a full Bachelor of Arts with Visual Studies. She acclaims, “it was really useful; we learnt to do funding applications and we were taught by professionals, taught by people who were working in the field. We were taught about community development, counseling,all aspects of mental health, the arts and teaching”. All of which, she uses in her job as an Arts Facilitator; "it was wonderful to have such a relevant degree, I still go back to my old folders and pull out ideas and information". She also ran an Arts on Prescription project in collaboration with the NHS Wellbeing service and Sweet Arts "this really enabled me to pull all of the strands of my learning and experience together and define where I was heading".
Although she claims her degree was really useful and gave her much of the skill and knowledge that she uses today, she says “I wish it was as straight forward as you do that degree and you can have a job, but you do really have to go beyond”. Although Holly had already started to build experience as a support worker and volunteering on various arts projects, she notes how much your attitude and enthusiasm affects your achievements; “I was quite tenacious, which I think is how my teacher described me; when you are looking for opportunities and you see them, push for them”.
“As well as volunteering, its about meeting people, its about connections. The arts world is huge, so its not who you know, but its about showing what you can do; meeting people and them seeing that determination, that you are doing a good job”.
After graduating, Holly began working at Barrington Farm, an arts centre for adults with learning difficulties in Norfolk, where she stayed for five years. She began working as an arts facilitator, but progressed to a management role with much wider responsibility, not only using her art skills but many of the skills she learnt as a carer and volunteer;
“even though you are doing the arts, you are doing care planning, you’re managing staff and you are managing volunteers and you have quite a lot of responsibility”
Holly also worked as a Refugee and Asylum Seeker Project Coordinator at a The Sainsbury's Centre for Visual Arts. "This again expanded my skills base and raised the bar in terms of expectations of myself and the people that I work with". Holly explains how important wider skills are in standing out when looking for work, such as health and safety training, first aid and safeguarding. Whilst the outcome of the role may be running art and creative projects, these wider skills are essential; “employers take that really seriously and I think, actually being an employer and having to employ people in my last job, they can be overlooked”.
Over her career as a carer and Arts Facilitator, including both voluntary and paid roles, Holly has worked with a broad range of people including in mental health, with young people, asylum seekers and those with learning difficulties. She currently works as a Recovery Through Art Project Coordinator for Keystone Development Trust, managing a project, working with people in recovery from drug and alcohol addiction. Projects include a huge range of activities, exploring materials and encouraging participants to make their own choices;
“Last week we were looking at paper and how it can be manipulated- curl it, twist it and cut it, and they made a huge assemblage collage. It looked absolutely amazing. We have just been exploring textiles, painting, sculpture, colour; we have been going through the different elements to give them the tools to choose their own artistic direction".
Whilst this role involves running art projects, it is important to understand the wider agenda; “its having a space, a creative space, which is really difficult when you are in recovery from addiction to drugs and alcohol, to just fill your days if you are not working, for people that have been treated with quite serious issues. It's ultimately about changing mindsets- getting people to look at the world with creative eyes and it's wonderful to see how well it works".
Holly has given a fantastic insight into the types of work that an Arts Facilitator may do, but equally a fantastic demonstration of how a career path may come in many different shapes and sizes, working hard to raise a family and fulfil her childhood aspiration of becoming an Arts Therapist.