Visit our impactful art exhibition in the foyer
If you’ve popped into the Centre recently; for a concert, workshop, screening or even a meeting, you might have noticed changes in our foyer – recorded music, the cafe-bar open at peak times during the day, and currently, a striking photographic exhibition of black and white portraits.
This exhibition presents portraits of members of the Trowbridge Creative Conversations Men’s Group, a creative arts and heritage group for men aged 65+. Facilitated by professional artist practitioners, Creative Conversations sessions bring together isolated older people to share their experience and creative ideas in a friendly and welcoming environment. So when one of the members of the Trowbridge men’s group shared his interest in photography, it wasn’t surprising that it inspired the participants to take portraits of each other. The results were so impactful, uplifting and moving, that they’re now on display at Wiltshire Music Centre until Wednesday 18 July, before moving to Trowbridge Town Hall, all made possible by funding from The Trowbridge Town Trust.
The free-to-visit exhibition was put up in time for a Celebration event, marking the impact the Celebrating Age Wiltshire project has had over the last five years during which time it’s been led by Wiltshire Music Centre and funded from 2020 – 2025 by the National Lottery Reaching Communities Fund. To mark all the successes since the project began, including reaching over 4,000 people each year, we invited stakeholders to the Centre for tea, cake and performance, as well as to view the exhibition which also displayed just a snapshot of some of the incredible artworks created with older people during this project, including songs, spoken word, art and heritage pieces.
It was an opportunity for WMC to thank everyone that has contributed to this project to this point, including:
- Our funders – National Lottery Reaching Communities Fund. Wiltshire Council Area Boards, Town Councils, Wiltshire Community Foundation, Arts Council England and other Trusts and Foundations
- Our partners: Pound Arts, Wiltshire Creative, Wiltshire & Swindon History Centre, AgeUK, Wiltshire Council and Libraries and Community First
- Our artists: 65 in total!
- Our staff team, including Creative Producer Rebecca Seymour,
- And our volunteers, community champions and community organisations
And to celebrate that we have delivered:
- 1,232 events
- 70 venues
- 23,421 older people and counting!
- 65 artists
- 120 local organisations
- 50 volunteers
In August, WMC will hand over the leadership of this award-winning, county wide project to AgeUK Wiltshire who will continue to reach isolated older people through creative arts and heritage events and workshop groups. We look forward to continuing to partner in this incredible project, as it continues to grow.
