Both Visual Arts in Rural Communities and Customs House collaborated to bring this unique opportunity to the women from Sangini, who were from diverse background and between 35 – 75 years.
The focus and aims of the project were:
• Building confidence
• Exploring a variety of approaches to drawing
• responding to place: rural and urban
• working collaboratively
• developing ideas and skills individually
• sharing outcomes and experiences with others

The first set of sessions were held as a residential at Tarset, Highgreen Northumberland, followed by two follow up activities later on at Makaan art studio, South Shields.
The women had never been to rural Northumberland and found the experience deeply inspiring and memorable. Working with the artist Jenny Purett, the women learnt a variety of skills and techniques such as mark making techniques, large scale collaborative drawing, exploring colours and creating expressive response to landscape around them.

During other sessions, the women explored visual elements of line, structure, tone and texture using the theme of ‘personal journeys and barriers’.

The women later went back to Highgreen, Northumberland for a final session where they developed individual work in ink, charcoal, pastel, collage as well as collaborative work creating striking large scale drawings using Unison pastels. Local people were invited to look at the display of project drawings, to share food and meet with the participants.

The large scale drawing along with other works was later included in group exhibitions at Bamburgh House, Newcastle and Customs House, South Shields.