Creative Village CIC (community interest company) are a not for profit organisation who deliver art based workshops from their studio on Stockton High Street and around the Teesside area. Directors Lucy Addison & Jess Roberts started Creative Village 13 years ago after graduating from university. As artists, Lucy & Jess wanted to teach workshops to pass on their passion for art and making to as many people as they could, supporting art for all. Creative Village are proud to have had many projects funded by Awards for All, Big Lottery Fund as well as other funders including Thirteen, Catalyst, Just Williams and more. Being a not for profit organisation means any profit from paid onto workshops is invested back into the business, allowing more people to benefit from art workshops, enhancing their skills and making something they’re proud of.
Creative Village started in Jess’s parents garage where Lucy & Jess made their jewellery work for their sole trader businesses & stored all the materials & equipment for Creative Village art workshops. Obviously pretty early on they started to run out of space (Jess is a hoarder of all things that will never get used!) and they spent years climbing over masses of stuff to get to their work benches. In the pandemic lockdown they moved their jewellery studios home to their spare bedrooms. Now filling 2 spare bedrooms, 2 garages and Jess’s parents garage full to the brim… they realised it was time they moved out & found a space to become home to the businesses.
Creative Village opened their studio in 2023 and have since hosted workshops there every week. Sessions include jewellery workshops, ceramics, textiles, mosaic making, print making, pot painting and everything handmade! You can book onto a workshop on the ‘book a workshop’ page which is updated regularly. The studio also offers opportunities for local creatives to use facilities including studio hire, jewellery bench and kiln hire and 1:1 learning experiences.
Over the past 13 years Creative Village have worked with many local organisations, charities and individuals delivering their workshops to young carers, women affected by domestic violence, people with additional needs, LGBTQ+ groups, recovering addicts, youth groups, people living in deprived areas and many more. The workshops are tailored to meet the needs of the attendees, providing a bespoke service to be inclusive of everyone’s needs and abilities. The benefits of art include reducing stress, improving wellbeing and mental health, build confidence and self esteem and reducing social isolation. Art can give an opportunity to allow people a break from everyday stresses, giving them a space to ‘just be’ creating a sense of escapism. Creative Village art workshops have already benefitted many people in the community.
Creative Village continue to deliver their art workshops in the community. They are always on the look out for quirky venues to host art workshops. If your organisation, work place, business or venue are interested in Creative Village art workshops please email creative-village@hotmail.com and request an expression of interest form.
Lucy & Jess look forward to welcoming you to their studio. To keep up to date with what is going on at Creative Village follow them on social media…
Instagram: @creativevillagecic
Facebook: www.facebook.com/CreativeVillageCIC
meet the team
Lucy Addison, Director
Hi, I’m Lucy!
I’m one of the founders & Directors of Creative Village CIC and also run my own jewellery & ceramics business Lucy Addison Applied Artist. After studying at the Northern School of Art, I graduated knowing my passion was making. That is where my jewellery businesses started. But it wasn’t long before I was missing exploring different materials, techniques and processes and working with other creative people. After doing a business course me & Jess knew setting up something where we could teach art workshops was something we absolutely had to do to and that is where Creative Village started!
When I’m not making jewellery & ceramics or teaching workshops you will find me adventuring with my Frenchie, Pepper. I love going on walks, finding random treasures on the beach (I love being by the sea we’re so lucky to have many gorgeous beaches not far from where we live!) and gardening.
Jess Langford, Director
Hello!
I am Jess one the Directors of Creative Village, Lucy's partner in crime & creativity! I have always loved anything to do with art, the making process, passing on my skills, bringing people together & seeing the end products.
After graduating from an Applied Arts degree I knew I wanted to create art through my own business specialising in contemporary silver jewellery, as well as meeting people from all walks of life and being able to show them how amazing art can be. I especially love seeing how each person takes the same activity and develops their own individual style and take, it really inspires me.
When I am not getting far too excited over art I absolutely love stupid board games, charity shop mooches, swimming and going for walks in nature.
Pepper Addison, Studio pet
I’m Pepper, I’m the friendliest, attention seeking, loving Frenchie you’ll ever meet. My role at the studio is of course to greet all humans who come to join workshops, accepting strokes and cuddles from them, enhancing their experience of the studio, because who doesn’t love puppy cuddles right? (They only come to see me anyway really!) Alongside laying accepting all the attention I also deal with quality control, cleaning up any dropped crumbs and making sure everyone knows I’m there with the worlds loudest snoring.
I look forward to meeting more humans! But if you don’t like dogs, that’s cool, my mam will leave me at home, just let her know before the workshop (extra naps for me anyway!)
