This report stems from a larger 18-month UK Research and Innovation – Arts and Humanities Research Council (UKRI-AHRC) funded research project conducted in collaboration between Entelechy Arts and Queen Mary University London (QMUL). The overall aim of the project was to investigate the design, delivery and impacts of Entelechy Arts’ distanced arts intervention, ‘Staying Connected’, from the perspectives of service providers and users during, and as the country transitioned out of, the restrictions related to the coronavirus pandemic.

In this report they focused on the experiences of service providers, having conducted qualitative interviews with staff, artists and volunteers to understand the design and delivery of the Staying Connected programme and to identify the key learnings for these individuals and Entelechy Arts.

The Staying Connected remote programme is a series of creative activities that have been adapted and designed to be delivered in remote environments to help members to stay connected during the Covid-19 pandemic. The remote creative programme included both continuous events such as working clusters and a radio show, which were both delivered on a weekly basis, and one-off activities such as a gnomes at home parcel and a zine. Remote working clusters were developed using group telephone calls to promote agency and shared responsibility for focus, content and output between members, staff, artists, and volunteers.

Collectively these activities provided opportunities for entertainment, social interactions, and creative development. Each activity was designed by a team of artists and designers and tailored to meet the needs of the specific group of members, with the support of Entelechy Arts staff and volunteers.

More information on the Staying Connected prrogamme from Entelechy Arts .

Howlin, C. & Jones, J. M. (2021, October). Discoveries in Distanced Arts: The work, wonder, and wear of Entelechy Arts’ Staying Connected Programmes - Practice Report. Department of Biological and Experimental Psychology, Queen Mary University of London.