Lou Taylor:
Reaching families in need with creative resource packs

As the pandemic’s impact took effect, Lou spoke with her Network colleagues to find out more about their existing activity, gaining insights into how member organisations engaged audiences during Covid-19. These insights helped Lou to build a picture of the importance of family audiences to arts organisations.

During the pandemic, the Bristol Network have been exploring new formats for family arts engagement, such as live online workshops, socially-distanced in-person activities, and blended online/offline approaches.

One such offline approach was led by Children’s Scrapstore. Thousands of family resource packs were distributed to the least culturally-engaged families in Bristol through community organisations. These packs included printed versions of online resources to prevent exclusion due to digital poverty. Providing resource packs has not only engaged more underserved families, but has also strengthened relationships with organisations, and built the Network’s reputation and connections in Bristol and beyond.

Lou and her colleague Kirsty Wilson shared their learnings with the sector by taking part in an FAC webinar focussing on reaching families in need with creative packs and resources, and an article sharing their top tips for creating and distributing packs.

The Covid-19 crisis encouraged organisations in Bristol to increase their collaboration with one another and share ideas and best practice, including within and across different sectors. Member organisations have also forged relationships with local community organisations. An increased interest in collaboration and new approaches to remote engagement have also meant that Lou has worked with organisations beyond Bristol, such as in Torbay and Gloucester.  

Throughout the pandemic, Lou and her Bristol Network colleagues have responded to the unique circumstances of their area, adapting their work to support families, and the organisations that serve them, during these challenging times.

20 April 2021