Image Description: A group of UNION 23 participants standing and crouching in a group.

Our UNION 23 programme has launched!

The first weekend with the new UNION 23 cohort took place at Chapel FM, on 27 – 29 January.

Our theme for the weekend was Building a Community of Practice. And what a community it was! An inspiring group of people came through the door, taking a leap of faith into the unknown with energy and open minds. 

Day 1

We kicked off our Friday session with some social time and wonderful food from Abundance Foods. There were initial introductions from the team, the story of UNION and Chapel FM, then jumping into some great ‘Getting to Know You Exercises’ using Fink wellbeing cards and exploring our questions for the year ahead, asking ourselves…

• What am I putting in?
• What do I hope to get out?

Passion, Collaboration, Lived experiences, A need for change, Challenging old habits, Filling each other’s tanks, A sense of purpose… hope

Day 2

We had a jam packed Saturday starting with check in’s, asking ‘how are you? and ‘what’s on your mind?’ Thinking of three words about how we’re each starting. This sets us up for the day ahead and connects us to the group and the space. 

The day included:

• Sharing stories of feeling part of a community
• Beginning a Group Agreement
• Co-created Wellbeing Open Spaces
• Journaling Time
• Asking our questions about ‘Arts and Activism’, ‘Community Art’ and ‘My role within it all?’

We can’t wait to get stuck into some these questions throughout the year, there are some big ones!

• How do I learn to play again?
• How can we make art truly inclusive to all?
• How can I find peace in this work? When the world is not at peace.
• Where does magic come from?
• How do I translate what’s in here to out there?
• How do I put my best self into my work without it taking over my life?
• How do I create space for failure, learning, rest and reflection going project to project?

Image Description: Sheets of paper cover a wall with a different question on each…

Then, into an amazing Open Mic event with UNION Leeds alumni! There were songs, poetry, monologues, a quiz, dancing… We were blown away by the talent and the bravery of the group (one of which had never sang in front of people before!!!).

Image Description: A woman with short brown hair and glasses sings into a microphone. A man with brown hair and beard plays the guitar next to her. 

See more on flickr

Day 3

Sunday, My Story of Art & Activism. A reflective day. 

Our day started with some mindful movement getting us ready for a reflective day (with lots of cutting and sticking in our journals) exploring:

• Feeling Resourced
• My life journey through art and activism
• My current decision-point
• Sharing your story
• Questions from Saturday ‘What two or three questions are live for me at this decision point in my career?’

Questions are really important to us! Asking ourselves questions, delving into what we need or want to explore supports the co-creation of the UNION programme, forming a ‘syllabus’ as we go through the year.

Next, along with our questions, we’re heading back to Hull after having a great time there with the UNION 19 cohort. We’re excited to see where this experience takes us…

Image Description: A group of 5 UNION 23 participants sit around talking and writing.