Groundswell Arts is a London based charity that designs and delivers creative education programmes for 0-11 year olds, their families and teachers.
We value an inclusive approach to creative learning, which supports and nurtures the wellbeing of children. Our initiatives are designed to reduce educational disadvantage and develop teachers’ confidence to embed creativity and the arts into the curriculum.
Contact us
Please get in touch to find out more about our products and services or find out how you can get involved.
About us
Groundswell Arts is registered Arts and Education Charity based in Haringey, London.
We develop and deliver creative learning projects and programmes in early years settings, primary schools and communities incorporating music, art, theatre, storytelling, dance and film making. Artistic Directors Gareth Howells and Angeline Conaghan established the company in 2010 through a desire to bring our shared artistic skills, knowledge and values together. Today we employ and collaborate with a wide range of freelance arts practitioners and partners working closely with educators, parents, young children and in the community.
We devise creative programmes that support high levels of community engagement and inclusion. We promote learning, exploration, play and reflection whilst supporting children’s mental health and wellbeing, language, communication, and transitions.
We also focus on parents and carers and their role as primary influencers and educators. We deliver training and staff development around each of our projects for early years and primary educators. We empower our partners to have confidence in their use of creative arts approaches and work towards these to enhance all aspects of the curriculum.
Creative Learning
We encourage and facilitate innovative environments where creativity , thinking, questioning, and the skills and ideas of teachers, children and carers can flourish.
Wellbeing
We nurture and empower children and families wellbeing and resilience through the arts.
We promote and celebrate individual identity promoting a sense of belonging to all.
Inclusion
We value all participants voices and create spaces for people
to tell their own stories in their own way.
We strive to consider all participants needs and learning styles within our practice.
Community
We create stronger, happier, healthier and more connected communities in our schools and neighbourhoods through the power of shared intergenerational creative experiences and learning.
Sign up to: Opening Doors Newsletter
Join in to find out about our recent endeavours and upcoming projects, and receive free activities and online resources
“Meanwhile, there are some rumours circulating, particularly in Key Stage 2, that the researchers who have been working in school are in fact not researchers, but actors!!! As I said to the children who bought this to my attention, they definitely told me they were researchers! Today’s assemblies with the researchers were full of mystery and intrigue – let’s see what next week brings – Gareth and team, thanks for bringing such magic to school at such a difficult time!”
Lucy Walker Colins – Head Teacher, Stroud Green Primary 2020 (Forgotten Stories project)
“It has just been such a wonderful experience. The generosity of the organisers and the artist we worked with made us feel so welcome and I just cannot believe that my children will be able to enjoy this work for the rest of their life.
What a fabulous opportunity and privilege to have been part of this!”
Parent from the Sing Our Story project 2021
“I am a Young Lives vs Cancer social worker; I work at Great Ormond Street Hospital with children who are going through cancer treatment. I am so grateful that we have been able to work with the Sing Our Story Project and I cannot begin to even describe how much happiness and joy the project has brought to families and children going through the darkest times of their lives.“
Social Worker Young Lives Vs Cancer 2022
“Slowly and timidly people are coming out of their houses once a week during lockdown to clap for the NHS. It’s a relief to see our neighbours and our community but it is not enough… Groundswell’s helped us to get a step further with the ” We are Here festival ” and with great ideas to bring us together again (together with our neighbour, our street, our community…).
My children participated in the Big Chalk Day. It was a beautiful day and it was the perfect occasion to step out of our houses and add some colours to our walls and our street. I personally loved walking around seeing colourful rainbows, messages on the floor, drawings on walls. A nice reminder that people really need to be part of something and not just stay behind closed doors.
Congratulations on the We are Here in Lockdown. It was such a beautiful initiative”
N Parent (2020)
“It wasn’t what I was expecting, but I really enjoyed it. It felt liberating and therapeutic. It also encouraged me to take an action that I then did each day for a week between classes, e.g. not eating sugar, rolling my achy shoulder with a tennis ball each day“
Dancing Together participant – Triangle Children’s Centre 2022
“The Sing Our Story project has reached out to hundreds of children and families who have had the opportunity to compose an individual song which will be a treasured memory forever. This unique approach of Groundswell Arts in supporting these families has been invaluable to the children and parents as well as the settings/ schools.”
Nick Hewlett Principal Adviser for Early Years Haringey (2019)
“We had wonderful time such a well-planned out project – each week was different and so fun for kids and adults – Thankyou“
Parent – Woodlands Park Nursery 2022
Donate to our work
A donation to Groundswell Arts supports our programmes in a variety of ways for example;- A donation of £20 can fund the cost per child of participation in one of our Story Lab green screen and animation programmes.
- A donation of £100 can fund a bespoke song for a child as part of our Sing Our Story programme.
- A donation of £1000 can enable us to offer a series of workshops and training in a school on programmes such as Sing Our Story, Story Lab. Light Box or Forgotten Stories.
Creative Resources
Visit our inspiring fun and creative resources page to support both school and home learning including puppetry, arts and craft projects, hands on science, music and film making tutorials and downloadable activity sheets.
Read the Research Story Lab – Dr Jonathan Barnes
Over the past three years we were privileged to receive funding from Paul Hamlyn Foundation for five Haringey schools to take part in our Story Lab programme. The programme had three strands a class based strand focusing on teacher development, a family strand and an intervention strand working with teaching assistants and special needs assistants ... Read more
Fantastic For Families Awards Shortlisting
We are delighted to announce that our Dancing Together programme for babies and toddlers has been shortlisted in 2023’s Fantastic for Families Awards as Best Family Arts Activity amongst 8 other fantastic projects around the UK. Whatever the outcome we are really delighted that this community programme has been recognised for the impact it makes ... Read more
Communication Pod on Tour
We are delighted to have recieved Arts Council England Funding this year to tour our Communication Pod and Forgotten Stories programmes in Enfield and Haringey. It’s been great to have these projects out supporting children’s speech, language and communication through inspiring their curiosity and imaginations. We are working with lots of new partners in this ... Read more
Family led projects
We are having such a brilliant time this year with our early years programmes including a recent programme funded by the Comic Relief Community fund Space to Create where families with babies and toddlers have the opportunity to explore light and sound environments. It is really great to work with multi-sensory materials and to have ... Read more
