Arts, community, land and much more!
We’re delighted to have organicARTS join the network and in July we had a wonderful visit there, with our team from CAG Somerset. Philey gave us a tour of the farm and told us more about what they get up to…
“organicARTS is an educational charity, we put the land and environment at the heart of everything we do, connecting people to the land, themselves and each other. For the last 21 years we’ve been based on West Town Farm, Ide, Exeter, a working organic farm only 3 miles from the city centre.
Across the farm’s 160 acres there are permissive paths for visiting groups and individuals which pass through an incredible range of locations including an old railway cutting, apple orchards, stream, meadows and woodland.
Our organicARTS site features our very own community garden plus two canopied seating areas in a wooded landscape, one of which has a fantastic firepit . We also have creative workshop spaces including a well-equipped ceramic studio complete with kiln and potters’ wheels.
Our location offers a unique and wonderful setting, combining a rural working organic farm with education, arts and wellbeing.
We work creatively with everyone!
We have extensive experience of working with formal and informal educational groups from nursery, through primary and secondary schools up to college and beyond including home education sessions. Our team of educators and artists also enjoy creating bespoke experiences and offer workshops ranging from clay to natural plant dying, creative team building days to family sessions by the fire, listening to our exceptional story teller Kevin.
Our work with the community sees us engaging with adults who might be vulnerable through mental and physical health challenges with our educational farm visits, projects and activities. The Community Garden Project is open 10.30am to 3.30pm Wednesdays and Fridays. It is a supportive environment open to adults who wish to engage with all aspects of horticulture led by professional gardeners Julie and Kate.
“Personally I would like to praise this place for making it possible for so many people, no matter what their personal reasons are for being there, to experience the positive interactions amongst attendees and staff.”
Anette – Devon Partnership Trust
The Makers Group, led by Megan, is a social, creative group meeting 10.30am-1.30pm Thursdays. The group is open to adults and all abilities, with a particular welcome to those with lived experience of mental ill health or social isolation. The group learns new skills and creative processes, offering a welcoming and friendly atmosphere to socialise and connect with our beautiful landscape. Members work on a range of projects that respond to the land, develop and share creative skills, support wellbeing and reach out into the wider community.
We are super excited to be new members of CAG Devon! Collaboration is key to the survival and wellbeing of small charities, CICs, and initiatives such as us, and being part of a network that shares core values about the environment and sustainability is invaluable. We are definitely looking forward to working together on developing our biodiversity, re-wilding areas and sharing our composting skills as well as hosting workshops, seminars and talks under the shared umbrella of CAG Devon.
For further information contact: info@organicarts.org.uk or follow us on facebook and instagram.”
