Intro 0:10
You're listening to the Highbridge podcast celebrating the people, places and history of the Highbridge area in search more.

Mell 0:25
This season is funded by Seed which is a consortium of community organizations in Sedgemoor comprising of Bridgewater senior citizens forum Bridgewater Town Council, Community Council for Somerset homes in Sedgemoor, Somerset film, and Young Somerset, which is funded and supported by Arts Council England, creative people in places, lottery funding, and the Arts Council. So as we approached the end of season one of these podcasts, I took the opportunity to speak to Laura Hylton from Seed Sedgemoor and find out exactly what is it they do.

Laura Hylton 1:00
Seed is a Creative People and Places project supported by the Arts Council England. And we are here to support our communities in more creative heritage and cultural activities. I think that's the easiest way to explain it. And it is very much like a seed, we're planting a seed, we're there to support people help nourish and grow,

Mell 1:26
I hear with the words and community, all that sort of stuff. What what's its main objective, what you're trying to achieve,

Laura Hylton 1:32
We are trying to achieve more creative communities. What that really means is we're encouraging more people in the community to engage in creative and heritage activities. It might be that in some of those communities, there is things already happening, but they don't know about it. It also might mean that some things have been there once and gone. And they would like something back similar, or it could be something completely new. But it's also about engaging those that wouldn't necessarily engage in the arts, or heritage activities. And that sounds, might sound a little bit woolly, but people don't know what is on offer until you take it to them. So sometimes we work in what you might think it's a slightly unusual place or thinking, why are they connecting with a pub, you know, but that's where some members of the community go, that's where the community spirit is. And it will be taking things to them and making sure that they're aware of the offers, and getting them to engage I think arts and theater can you can think it's not for you, you can think it's more of a, it's an exclusive thing, you can only go if you're invited, or the cost can be a massive barrier to engagement. So it's about making sure that those things are available for people. But also, we try to do things with the funding seed receives and the Commission's that we do that they are, we try to ensure that they're free of charge or a low fee. So that they're, it's available for people to engage with. And it not being an elitist activity. So sometimes you may be put off going to see art in a gallery, because one. walking through the door may be a big barrier, you may feel like you have to understand art, or speak the language of art rather than just appreciating it for the beauty that it is. And in taking that in and absorbing that culture. And yes, it might be that it's not close enough for you. So when you live in a rural village, Somerset is really rural and transport is a massive barrier. community transport a lot of the time buses don't run on Sundays for a lot of areas. So getting to events can be really challenging, or bringing artists to Somerset can also be a challenge and a barrier. So it's about make ensuring that things are there in the community available for them. And that can be a variety of different activities that Seed have done. So it could be weekly clubs, or it could be big main events. So with our front garden Music Festival. You know, musics just there live music there for you and you can walk out your back garden. And there's some live music. You may have to travel to Bristol might be our closest venue to go and do that to just enjoy some live music but also with your family. And not just maybe one or two of you because the ticket price is a big barrier.

Mell 1:38
What sort of projects have Seed Sedgemoor helped towards that maybe maybe some of the ones that that you wouldn't naturally think of.

Laura Hylton 4:58
So they we've done, there has been so many projects we are at about 35 different projects. In the three years that Seed have been running. We've gone from in the lockdown S eed was growing during the first Coronavirus lockdown. And that made it a little bit more challenging for us to go out into the community and do that grassroots consultation that we wanted to. We had planned to do some what we call create the future events where you invite people in, and they give us lots of feedback. We talk to them about what's going on in their area, what they would like, maybe give them some ideas about what could be possible. Sometimes you don't know whether you would like something if you don't know what that is. However, that was unable to happen in the way that we initially planned.

Mell 5:51
This is almost like a time capsule as well. So the impact of COVID and the lockdown the fact that people were able to move around, how did that work with with trying to get community engaged, that must have been really stressful?

Laura Hylton 6:02
In the beginning, it was definitely a week you reevaluate, don't you you sit back down, and you look at what your your business plan is, and and how you initially you go into communities, and you do face to face consultation. And you do you show them what could be possible you take activities to them. We couldn't do that in the early stages. So we did as much as we could on Zoom. And we really relied on the amazing communities that we got connected to. So a lot of that in the early days was the word of mouth. So you would speak to different people that we would have known through working with other organisations, they connected us to some people in the community. And then it was kind of like a trickle down effect. It went, it kind of went viral. Because this person told that person, the benefit of it was people were all at home, we were all in the same position. So people were behind the screen, if they will, if they have one and had access to technology, then they were able to engage with us. So we would hold consultation online via zoom, which under the circumstances was excellent because it didn't delay us doing any work. And we would then plan for when we would eventually come out of lock downs or the lock downs. But what we also did is we set up projects called Creative lives under lockdown, where we invited some artists to come up with some expression of interest and different creative ideas where they could engage with people during the lockdown and with those restrictions in place, which was a really big challenge. It was for us we wanted to be working with the community, we wanted to provide opportunities for people to do things at home whilst they were unable to go out or go to school go to their local clubs. And we also wanted to support local artists who were also in a really difficult position as well as so many other people at the time. We commissioned five different activities under that banner. One was called sketchbooks unlocked. And that is where each week sketchbook everyone was provided with sketchbook when they went on their daily walk, they were allowed to pick it up in a COVID safe environment, things that now we may be slightly forgot about the challenges of collecting stuff from another organisation. And if they were unable to pick it up, they use different community ambassadors to deliver them with postal food parcels. That was the other thing that we did, especially with the sketchbooks project, and they engaged online, and it was fantastic. We had 1000s of people submitting creative sketches with the support of artists. And then at the end of the project, when we were out of restrictions they handed those books in and we had them in an exhibition at the Art School in Cheddar. We did another project called Let's dance Sedgemoor, which was dance workshops online, in a really safe private setting. So you're only able to engage if you had a private link and connection. And that was really great way to get more people to join in something that maybe they wouldn't have been able to do before because maybe if you work in an office situation, you can't get to a dance class at your lunchtime or after work. But you could engage on Zoom whilst you're at home during lunchtime because there was none of that commuting around so that there was a few positives in to COVID in the sense of getting people to engage in things or try something new that they didn't do before. Especially with some of these projects. They also did something called moments of stillness, which was a lovely project. So when people were allowed out on their daily walk so Nadia, the lead artist on this project encouraged people to go out on a daily walk. Take out your mobile phone Absolutely no pressure to have amazing filmmaking skills. But just for one minute, capture something, no people involved. No one walking by no children jumping or doing cute faces, no silly faces, no tick tock dances. It was in nature. And you just recorded for 60 seconds, we had over 90 submissions. And it was it was then edited into a 50 minute film. It's absolutely fantastic and so beautiful, which people were absorbing and taking in nature, and becoming more creative with it and seeing things in a really different way. But using something that the majority of us do have, which is a mobile phone with a camera. Not all people obviously have that. And we did always consider that throughout the whole project and how we can engage with people that may be on the other side of the digital divide as well. And then we also did joyful noises. So this one really focused on noise as a celebration. So one of the things in the early start of the COVID lockdown was the clap for carers, and people going out on their doorsteps, and clapping and banging pots and pans and shouting. And it was like this really celebratory moment for those few weeks that when it was done, that people made a noise. And it was about people capturing that and submitting it. And that also was turned into a short film. But looking at why we make noise. Why is noise such as what what does that mean to us? And how do we celebrate noise and music and sounds as well. Creative isolation was another project. Bev G. star was the lead practitioner on this project. And Bev created 150 boxes full of creative activities for people to do. So they had glue sticks, pens, paper, sugar paper was in there, glitter was in and they went out through people delivering hampers food hampers, or were delivered to care homes or to those that really needed it, who particularly were on the other side of the digital divide. And they had a sheet in there with all instructions of how to make creative projects on their own. They didn't have to mix with other people. If they weren't in the position to or at that time, they didn't want to be in a more social setting. What we also did to back that up was each week Bev went live on Facebook, and did tutorials for those that maybe wanted to watch those. At the end of it, we put them all onto a DVD and made them available for anybody that maybe would have liked to watch the tutorial, but couldn't have done but has a DVD player at home, rather than not having the access to YouTube or Facebook, which again, is another barrier for a lot of people if they want to engage, but they can't because of the technology,

Mell 13:10
Have you found that there's an access to the digital world has been difficult, according to what generation that you're from.

Laura Hylton 13:18
Yes, it can be I think, if we in general, not just during the lockdown. Yeah, it definitely can be. And we build that into our approach and with our projects. So we try to always ensure that there's another option if the digital isn't an option. And we do have lots of participants and community members that don't have access to the internet or a laptop. So we still and I really enjoy it. We still use the telephone which actually will take you on to our project called Mosaic, which was done just after the second lockdown it was to do a project to help combat loneliness, which is a real that's a real loneliness is a big word. And I think a lot of us really experienced loneliness during the lockdowns in a way that maybe we hadn't before. Even living in a house full of people. I think we all possibly felt a little bit lonely at times. It was really hard. And I think we could all empathize with with that as well. What we wanted to do was work with those that were on the other side of the digital divide. So we worked with our consortium partners. So we worked with Homes in Sedgemoor and CCS who is Community Council for Sedgemoor to you have village agents and know those people that have limited or no access to digital technology, or maybe want to but are struggling to get on to get online or don't know how to use the technology. So we delivered a project which resulted in a beautiful book called Mosaic, where we worked with two very highly trained skilled artists, Carl and Rachel, who had, I think they had about eight participants, each, who each week phoned participants and delivered creative activities over the phone, there has to be a relationship. So it wouldn't, the conversations didn't start, just by saying, like, we're going to be really creative, get a pen and paper out. That's not how it works. It starts with getting to know each other and having really skilled artists who are good at opening up and talking because there's no face to face, they haven't seen each other, we don't know who they didn't know what each other looks like. And there was also a lot of worry at that time where somebody you don't know who's phoning you and talking to you about your life. So we had to make sure that we built up those safe networks. And a lot, a lot of it started through talking about things that the artist did, and what the participant did in their own time, things they enjoyed doing, maybe things they hadn't connected, were creative. And one of the common themes that really came through was recipes and food, and the joy that we have with recipes and traditions of passing down recipe. So we cook a certain thing a certain way, because our grandma, you know, our grandparents cooked it like this. And then that's kind of been passed down through the generations. And then we encouraged, we encourage them to take photographs. So Rachel would send a disposable camera to each of the participants, and they photographed either their recipes, or something really special and beautiful to them. Or if they went on their walks, and then they find interesting. So it was about when they did go out or went out with somebody to support them, have a look around them, what what's there that you possibly really enjoy looking at, but you haven't taken in and processed in the same way. And Carl really focused on the poetry and words and got people writing poetry who'd never considered themselves to be a poet before. So it was just giving people an opportunity to work in a different way and think in a different way. And both artists at the end of the project came together under a different restrictions as well. And brought all of the work together. It was a lot of work for them, they worked very, very hard and also engaged in the participants in that process. Unfortunately, not as much as we'd like to have done at that time, because I think we're three to three in a room or it was six in a room at the time. And then we worked with a designer to help put it together in a beautiful book called Mosaic was published at the end of it. And then in the summer months, once restrictions had lifted, we held like an afternoon tea party. And it was a lovely moment where we read about we've read names, we've seen work, you know, we've taken in their personal information, and we've seen it produced in a book. And then we got to meet them, you actually the artist and the participant got to meet in there like this is we've been working together for months, and spoke on the phone and we feel it really know each other. But we hadn't, they hadn't had the opportunity to meet until that morning. And it was absolutely lovely. It was that makes it really, really special where you see that together. And a lot of those participants have gone on to do other projects, or are working with us in partnership on other projects as well. Like everything is on our Seed website. So they're under current projects or past projects. So right to the very first project is on our website, and even old news releases. Our newsletters are archived on our website. So all of the information is there. Because we've done so many wonderful projects and worked with so many wonderful people over the last three years that we don't want to lose any of that it's there for people to go back and have a look at.

Mell 19:05
And what about places like Somerset Archives.

Laura Hylton 19:08
It's one of those things, you want to make sure that things are archived and are there for people to come? Maybe when Seed isn't around. And that's something we build into all of our projects is legacy, what's the legacy? And sometimes a project might be this is just happening now. Because this is happening now. You know, and we want to do this because that's the impact. That's what people have asked for. But it doesn't necessarily mean that it's going to be repeated again or be repeated for the next 10 years or 20 years. But we do always try to build legacy into the start of every project.

Mell 19:42
Future things, what's Seed, what's Seed planning for next

Laura Hylton 19:46
We have got a 10 year business plan. It doesn't necessarily mean we've been funded for 10 years. We would love that very much. But we were not planning to go away anytime soon we want to continue working in Sedgemoor and across Sedgemoor. And beyond, if that's an option at some point, it's to continue working in with the villages and with the areas in within the community, it's a big, big place, there's a lot to cover, and you can't do it all. You know, in a few years, if you're going in, and you're making the impact and building those connections, you have to give them time, and you have to give them a chance to get going and flourish in and that takes a lot of nurturing. So one thing we're definitely not is we don't want to parachute in, and then you know, be like, Oh, we're here to help, or we're here to support and then we're just gone. We like to think that the community see that we're still there, and we're supporting those activities. And we spent, we've actually spent nearly more like two years working in Highbridge this is the one of the commission projects, the Highbridge podcast. And it's really lovely to see that groups really are connecting and working together. And that we've built up those relationships with the community and different artists, so many wonderful things are happening. And there's such a benefit to either the young people's groups, either to the music groups, or there's, you know, our Highbridge, really taking the lead on lots of those community groups working with Create You, you've got Highbridge Youth Arts, who you've done a podcast with and the excellent work that they're doing in the theater groups. If it's like, when there was the Jubilee celebration, you've got the church and the groups working together. And they're really utilizing the resources that were there. And at the start of some of the conversations when, for instance, when Martin came to us, at the start before Blues in the Pews was commission was saying about how they've got this beautiful building, we've got this space, but it's so underused as a resource for the community. And one of the aims was, let's get you know, How can we open up and get people in here? And by no means is Seed taking all the credit for that. But to see that journey and how the space is used, and people really are using that space and owning it. And I think having more ownership of something that is really central to Highbridge.

I think it's a classic example of what what Seed has managed to achieve, by just listening to what people want to do. And do we can help you get that up and running. And it's grown. I mean, like, I've been alone to several of those, and they're just fantastic nights, they're really just, you can't believe you're in a church, and you've got all this noise and all these brilliant performances. And here in this, this is a church, but I don't feel like I'm at church, I feel like I'm just in a building.

In a nice, safe environment. And that's exactly what we that's where our role is, is we like to listen and go, This is great, we can do this. And this is how we can support. And we'll connect to the other projects that came out of a lot of our early consultation research is, you know, that we know stuff happens sometimes. But we don't know when it's happening. And we don't know how and it's just sometimes connecting people. And we find the best thing to do is when you're flyering and you're hand delivering things, just go around and talk to people and tell them what's going on. But also listen to what they're saying. We put an event on an Apex Park, and we went into the community to say like this is happening, and it's great. I was so excited. And lots of people came and said, We love these events. But nobody takes into consideration the parking. And that really makes us sad and crass. Because nobody thinks about how we feel when they're blocking our drives, or when the ambulances or fire brigade can't get through because everyone's parked here to go to an event. And of course you're like, that's a really, really valid thing to say. So one of the things we did when we put on the event was we ensured that we had the carnival club there marshaling in supporting the car parking and opening up the overflow car park, that building into your marketing that please don't park on residential streets, use the car park, it's free of charge. When you give community ownership then people want to support that because it's for yourselves you benefit from that it's there for you. And actually other members of the community doing it. It's not just somebody you know, swooping in for profit and leaving, you know, leaving and not going when people are putting on events. They want the community there, you know, and also there's a connection when there's different people who are involved and you know them you want to support them. And it's fantastic and we like to think that we do listen to what people say, and that we are supporting the projects that people really want and will benefit from. But we'll also have legacy, as I said, if Seeds not around, will that continue without us? Hopefully, yes, we hope so because a lot of things are working so well and so independently. Without us

Mell 25:19
To recap then. If people want to find out more about Seed organisation or have got an idea that they want to bounce off you, or just want to look at all the great work that's been done, what's the website address that they need to make sure they remembered?

Laura Hylton 25:33
SeedSedgemoor.com, our contact information is on the website. But you can just email info@seedsedgemoor.com.

Mell 25:40
That's excellent. Well, thank you very much, Laura. It's been a pleasure chatting to you and find out even more because some of them I didn't even know about

Laura Hylton 25:48
Thank you. It is a lot, like I said, we are now working in a slightly different area as well. We're still supporting the Highbridge area, but we're working in Cheddar, Axbridge and Polden Hills. We have our front garden Music Festival, which is a big Seed led event that we do. We have our guitar and bass group as well. We have music making group, we have our new clay project starting. There is so much happening. It is fantastic. Our website and social media as well. We're on Instagram and Facebook and Twitter. So yeah, we try to share as much as possible. And we also do our newsletters as well. So if anybody wants to get involved, but they don't know how, please connect with us because there's always an opportunity, especially volunteers. We have some volunteers at the moment doing excellent work for us. And we always ask for more volunteers, especially when it comes to our larger events. We really want people on the ground doing things

Mell 26:44
And our thanks to Laura Hilton. And as she said, if you want to find out more about Seed Sedgemoor, or if they can help you or the community in your area, then do contact them. It's been a real pleasure bringing this podcast series to you and to find out things about yesteryear. And today, the Hybridge podcast available on many popular podcast directories distributed as the Highbridge Podcast on Apple iTunes, Spotify, Podcast Google, Amazon music, and tune in.com It can also be found at SedgemoorMedia.com And he's hosted and found at Highbridgepodcast.transistor.fm. Also available on your smart speakers. Just say the wake word to the speaker and say clearly, play the Highbridge podcast