Tributes

Here are some of the thoughtful messages and memories shared with CCA by members of our creative community

“I have loved every aspect of working with CCA - from developing the course to make sure it met a wide range of learners' needs, to spending wonderful afternoons exploring writing with such wonderful groups of people. I learned a great deal from the expertise at CCA, but I also valued simply working with the kind and gentle ethos of the organisation. I saw first-hand the power of giving people a safe space to be creative - and how the learners I worked with responded to and grew from this opportunity. It was inspiring, rewarding and great fun.”

“Working with Cambridge Community Arts and Creative Fenland has been truly inspiring. It has been an honour and a privilege to be part of the team as a creative tutor for the last couple of years. Seeing learners flourish first-hand I have come to appreciate what makes CCA’s work really special.”

“It will sound like hyperbole to say that the end of Cambridge Community Arts will leave a large, echoing space in the community arts world and in people's lives. As an organization it was the epitome about what a great community arts education organization should be... It was supportive to a fault of the students, and also of us, the tutors - I have never worked anywhere with so much care for us - for how we feel, for what we do. We were appreciated and honestly that is so rare. Working with Cambridge Community Arts was working (with) and not so much for...I will miss the fantastic staff, the care, the humour, dare I say it, the love. People cared about this charity and it deserved to be cherished.  I am deeply sad that we are saying goodbye to lovely people, to a truly caring and exciting arts education entity and to what it meant, a vision of a better world that will not ever go away.”

“My professional and personal life saw a huge impact when I was introduced to CCA's and Creative Fenland's work. I had recently moved to England and as a foreign resident I was finding it difficult to develop my work as an artist in the UK. After over 2 years involved with Creative Fenland as first a volunteer, workshop leader and tutor, to becoming a resident artist, I have seen an improvement in not just my life as a working artist but as a person. The commitment shown to improve people's well-being through art and creativity has been a powerful experience to me. Thank you for everything.”

“CCA was a turning point for me in healing from long covid, a wonderful journey creating art, craft and friendship - thank you. It will be sorely missed...”

“I wanted to pass on my thanks to the team at Cambridge Community Arts. I was lucky enough to attend the year long art course a few years ago. The course helped me to reconnect with creativity and gave me amongst other things the confidence to continue to be creative. Looking back the course was a real turning point for me which I will be forever grateful to Cambridge Community Arts for. I know I am just one of hundreds of students that will have passed through your community. Over the years you will have facilitated huge amounts of positive change for people.”

“I wanted to write to pass on my thank you to everyone who made CCA possible, your classes have made such a difference to my life and i am truly devastated that you are closing down.

 I was working towards coming to volunteer for you and i had hope one day to return to teach for you (if i got good enough!).

I only got to be a part of your community for a couple of years, but in that time I observed the difference your courses made not only to my life but to all of those who’s classes I attended.

And your staff have been some of the nicest people that I have met!”

“CCA has been a hub where people from all backgrounds, cultures and walks of life have come together with a common purpose: to enrich life with art and to enjoy the multiple benefits of artistic development. It has helped so many people come out of their shell, expressing themselves in new ways, and connecting with others. It has helped people who feel lonely, lost or without sense of purpose. I had the pleasure to work as a tutor and assistant tutor at CCA and I saw all of this first hand. And it breaks my heart that the centre now has to close its doors. Sadly we live in a world where artistic proposals are usually not prioritised and these community projects which help so many people end up at the bottom of the list. It is really unfair and we can only hope to educate our children to make it better in the future, to live in a world that is more altruistic and generous, and more focused in providing people with activities that offer connection and enjoyment. Thank you CCA for all these years of exactly that: connection and enjoyment. You will be deeply missed.” 

“What a sad loss for us all... sorry to hear this. I Hope miraculously something Super Great happened and you re-open your Doors bigger, Stronger & Better than ever before. 

CCA is absolutely Brilliant!!”

“I'm saddened to hear that CCA will be closing, what a huge loss for the creative community. I'm proud to have been part of CCA's journey and to have seen so many learners, tutors and volunteers benefit from all it did.” 

“Thank you CCA and all who supported and served her. Thank you to all the students who were open to everything we presented them with, thank you to my colleagues, it was wonderful to be a part of this with you. Thank you.” 

  “I’m so sad CCA is closing its doors. I can only have good words for what CCA has accomplished and facilitated. So great for the community.” 

“Thank you for all the hard work and creativeness you have dedicated yourselves too. I wish you happiness for the future. Cambridge has lost a valuable asset.”

“Being a part of CCA since 2019 has meant the world to me, from the very first course I knew it was something special and it was certainly going to be an amazing experience. From the tutors, the office staff and everyone in between, all were so helpful, so supportive and offered a warm, safe environment for us all to grow as artists. 

The incredible skills that I have learnt and the confidence that has been nurtured, will stay with me always. I was and am still forever grateful to the faith that the staff put in me, their belief and undying support. I will forever cherish the artwork that I have created in every single course, the inspiration given from each and every tutor and the beautiful memories that will live on. 

Cambridge community arts will always have a special place in my heart and I’m so grateful that I got to experience it. 

Thank you so much for the last 5 years, they have been amazing and I for one will definitely miss it all.” 

“I’m pleased to hear you’re able to close CCA with dignity, honouring the legacy of the vibrant community you’ve helped to nurture. I believe people will value that. Moreover, the confidence, artistic growth, and mental wellbeing the charity gave to people will continue stay with many of them for a long time.”

“I would like to express my deepest gratitude for all the work you have done over the years. Having the opportunity to get to know you and take part in your courses has been truly valuable for me. Thanks to your work, many people were able to connect with the arts, learn, grow, and improve their well-being. Each person came to you with a different story, and you welcomed everyone with respect, warmth, and empathy.

In my case, I found Cambridge Community Arts at a very timely moment, when I needed it most, and thanks to your support I was able to move forward. That is something I will always carry with me. I know the decision to close cannot have been easy, but I want you to know that the positive impact you achieved will endure. You have left a meaningful legacy, not only through the skills you shared but also through the way you cared for and brought the community together. I feel very fortunate to have been part of your story. I wish you all the best for the future, and I hope you feel proud of everything you have accomplished during these eleven years.”

“I had the absolute pleasure of attending the Creative Writing course in early 2024, and it is no exaggeration to say that it was a life-changing experience for me. The supportive and nurturing environment you created was truly special, and the encouragement I received from everyone there was simply incredible.”

“I am truly sorry to hear this and know what an incredible impact you and your staff have made on the lives of people with complex needs in these communities. I supported many service users who found the courses a real lifeline.”

“Thanks to the skills and confidence I gained from the course, I have been able to build a career as an author. I'm thrilled to share that I have since published a series of crime fiction books and sold thousands of copies to readers worldwide. I have also had over 1.7 million page reads on Kindle Unlimited.”

“The positive impact your project has had on hundreds, if not thousands, of lives is immeasurable. I am so grateful to have been a small part of the Cambridge Community Arts story.”

“So sorry to hear you will be stopping. Some of our patients have benefitted greatly from the courses you have provided particularly the music production and digital skills. This will leave a big hole in creative provision in Cambs.

Thank you all for your hard work and the benefits for our patients.”

“Thank you for your help and support. It gave me real strength at the time that I need it most and put me touch with two great courses where I was to meet some lovely people and also I got to do some great voluntary work at Kettles Yard.”

“I am so sorry to hear this. Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to take part in one of your courses. It was amazing and so helpful to mine and others mental health at a time when life is giving us all so many challenges.”

“Keep dreaming, believing, collaborating and making. The world needs art and its artist's now more than ever.” 

“I would like to thank Cambridge Community Arts warmly for the art and craft course that was made available to me during the isolation of Covid.  Sasha DeWitt ran an amazing series full of fun and new skills, and through it I made connections that helped with the depression of that time.  Everyone in the admin department was super-helpful and patient with my technology problems.  I’m sad that won’t be available to other people now, but full of great memories I won’t forget.”

“I am saddened to hear about the end of road for CCA. I was recommended by a fellow friend and volunteer who used CCA for years after I was struggling with a bout of anxiety and depression brought on by years of trauma. I signed up to the Digital Arts programme for the April 2019 cohort. I was not really to keen doing Digital Art as I thought Art was something you did with your hands and not a screen. How wrong was I? Matthew Magnus was my tutor at the time and he was absolutely wonderful. A gentle soul but a brilliant teacher. I absolutely loved the sessions and was sad I could not join another lot due to work commitments. I think I only missed one session due to genuine illness and Syrah Arnold who was leading the course was so kind and understanding. I understand both course leaders/tutors have moved on from CCA but the sentiment remains the same. I am no longer in that bad place I was emotionally and it is thanks to the people of CCA running these courses which I will be sad to see no longer around. I wish everyone well.”

“I have so many happy memories from cam arts, art, photography. Book making, & many more things, also made new friends too, great teachers, so patient, especially during covid, spacing us so well apart. Thank you All for the love & support.”

“I’d like to express my heartfelt thanks for allowing me to join such creative tutors and pupils over the last couple of years. It was a much needed lifeline for me when I was new to the area, and it’s going to be sorely missed.” 

“Thank you for the wonderful workshops you’ve delivered. I have greatly benefited from joining some, particularly printing with Carole. The impact on my life has been enormously positive.” 

“I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the entire team for their incredible work. A special and heartfelt thank you must go to Jen, Lynn, and Rosina, whose guidance was invaluable.”

“The closure of CCA is very sad news. I did 2 musical courses, and the leaders of both of them inspired me to believe in myself. Since completion of those courses, I have performed at a baptism, and busked in town. Many thanks CCA.”

“I enjoyed the courses. It really helped with my mental health. Thank you.”

“CCA is an amazing organisation with amazing people. You will be sorely missed!”

Memories of Cambridge Community Arts with Kettle’s Yard

Working with learners, alumni and the team at Cambridge Community Arts has provided so many memorable moments and inspiring projects with Kettle’s Yard over the years, which I will never forget.

Cambridge Community Arts has fostered such a trust and creatively confident relationships with its learners through its work and approach, that no one has shied away from the invitations of partnership projects with Kettle’s Yard - no matter how weird or wonderful they might have appeared! The trust and confidence also very much developed through the processes of the projects, with CCA learners confidently challenging preconceptions, pushing boundaries and helpfully questioning approaches which has resulted in amazing outcomes and artworks being created.

One of the first projects we worked with CCA learners on was with artist Emma Smith in 2014 as part of the Open House programme. Emma was collaborating with the community to create a pop-up apothecary, dispensing light-hearted advice and suggestions shared by local residents for wellbeing. Emma worked with CCA on calligraphy and together they hand-wrote a number of the apothecary’s dispensed suggestions. CCA learners supported the performative outcome and also helpfully contributed to research about the project being undertaken by the University of Leicester. This research continues to generate new articles and ideas with quotes and reflections from the group continuing to forge changes in museum practice today.

CCA learners and alumni continued to be key collaborators on Open House projects through years. Memorable projects include helping document the local area to inform a new map for North Cambridge, exploring sound art and visiting local performance areas, creating new artwork and exhibiting in the Sky exhibition at Nuns Way Pavilion in February 2020. This was accompanied by an amazing concert by some of the music performance group – little did we know that just a few weeks later none of this would be possible for a long while!

From these projects we built strong relationships with learners and alumni. Members of the photography group regularly visited the house and exhibition – even being commissioned to document our displays. We also collaborated with learner as part of Tate Exchange. Exploring ideas of light and shadow, CCA learners artwork formed part of an interactive installation at Tate Modern.

Beyond creativity, we have been so delighted to welcome CCA alumni as volunteers and members of staff at Kettle’s Yard. It’s been astonishing how one charity can make such transformational changes in people’s lives, and it has been an honour to witness it.

I would like to thank some key members of the CCA team, past and present, for being such a joy to work with as partners: Jane, Beth, Emily, Alan, Jen, Christine and Bryan. And, of course, the wonderful CCA alumni who continue to inspire us all: Gill, Dawn, Lauren, Bryan, Carole, Lil, Clare, Karen, Tom, Yvette, Richard, Sarah, Siggy, Darren and so many more along the way – THANK YOU!