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An update on hoot services

Based on the Government’s announcements on the 12th July, and in conjunction with the rising case numbers in the Kirklees area, the hoot team are busy at work reviewing what this means for our sessions returning in-person. 

The majority of building works have been completed increasing ventilation within the building, and we are carefully considering what the removal of legal guidance means for how we keep people visiting the hoot building safe & well.

We are now discussing the logistics of:

  • Running shorter but more frequent activities with smaller groups of people
  • Running trial volunteer meetings in-person to test our new building movement protocols
  • Running activities at an outdoor location 
  • Offering activities first to people who have not been able to access our activities since March 2020
  • How running in-person activities might change the online programme

At hoot we maintain our commitment to keeping safe all those people who work here or join in the fun of our creative sessions. To that end we will work hard to enable everyone to participate safely as restrictions lift on 19th July and once again those of us with long term health conditions (LTCs) may feel an increased risk in mixing publicly and in groups.

Through our digital, telephone and blended offer (SPECTRUM) we will support continued, renewed and new engagement in the work at hoot and we look forward to working with you all in the coming weeks and months as we move through this phase of the pandemic together.

What’s next? We want to know more about how those who use our services feel about returning to in-person activities and what would help them to feel safe. To help us to do this, we’ll be asking people who attend hoot to fill out a short form to tell us how they’re feeling. We will keep you updated as our plans develop, and if circumstances change due to local, regional or national restrictions and guidance.

We have a duty of care to every person we work with and as always, our goal is to return in the safest way possible for everyone. 

Gavin Clayton, CEO hoot creative arts

Last updated July 2021

Two men sit side by side, one is using a glue gun on an egg carton whilst the other holds a glue stick
Two men sit side by side, one is using a glue gun on an egg carton whilst the other holds a glue stick

Music in Criminal Justice settings

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hoot has over 10 years’ experience of delivering music and singing activities which support relational practice in criminal justice settings across the North and South of England. We have a skilled artist team who work across these settings and deliver music making; including harmony singing, song writing, music technology, rhythm and composition.  

'I'm just writing to express my thanks for the workshop that ran today. The feedback from the women and staff was incredible. The women were so full of energy at lunchtime and clearly very enthusiastic about the project, it was great to see. They reported back that "it was the best purposeful session we have ever had".'

If you are interested in having a project based in your setting please get in touch for a bespoke package and costing. We can deliver one-offs, pilots, day long or weekly workshops and tend to work with small groups (up to 15) with 2 artists. Participants need no previous musical experience.

For more information on this project contact Gavin: gavin@hootcreativearts.co.uk

Funded by 

NHS

Creative Pathways

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Creative Pathways - Creation Station

Creative Pathways, known as Creation Station to our participants, is a hoot creative arts programme designed for adults aged 18 or over with Learning Disabilities and/or Autism. 

Creative Pathways offers a range of free creative activities aimed at empowering individuals to express themselves, develop new skills, and enhance their overall well-being. Sessions are held in residential settings and community locations across Kirklees. Participants can join with or without a support worker. Each session is facilitated by an Artist and a hoot Creative Support Worker to assist participants in accessing their creativity. 

No prior artistic experience is needed to join. If you are interested in being creative and learning new skills in a friendly and supportive environment, Creative Pathways is for you. Participants in Creative Pathways engage in diverse and enriching creative activities designed to inspire and develop artistic skills. Whether through music, visual arts, dance or other creative forms, our programme provides opportunities for personal expression and social connection. 

What's On- visit our Activities page to read more about what activities are on offer:

How to access: You can sign up to join on hoot's website or complete a referral on behalf of someone else if you are from an organisation.

For more information please contact info@hootcreativearts.co.uk or call 01484 516224  

Creative Pathways - Creation Station is funded by

A purple rectangle with the text The Henry Smith Charity

 

 

Creative Pathways 2018 - 2021

From 2018 - 2021 Creative Pathways worked with people experiencing enduring mental health needs in supported housing or hospital settings, including work with people with learning disabilities.

We developed a residency programme, where hoot artists worked with settings to support the improved wellbeing of their residents through creative activity. Through the programme, residents at various settings developed social bonds through shared experience, which in turn has supported people to form friendships, alongside participation in the creative activities themselves improving wellbeing. As residencies developed we encouraged volunteering from residents to support the delivery as a means of progression.

Workshops took place in a traditional face to face style within Kirklees and the surrounding area, or at a distance using our pioneering face to face remote methodology – deliver ingover 35 workshops during the Covid 19 pandemic when the doors of our partner organisations were closed to external visitors.

Creative Pathways 2018 - 2021 was funded by

Lloyds Bank Foundation Logo

 

Out of the Blue

Band practice

The Out of the Blue programme is the Creative Arts, Mental Health and Wellbeing service funded by Kirklees Council and the NHS West Yorkshire Integrated Care Board.

The programme of creative activities is free for Kirklees residents who are aged 18 or over and who want to protect their mental health and wellbeing, or are experiencing issues with their mental health. A diagnosis is not needed to sign up.

Out of the Blue offers a range of creative activities that people can access in Huddersfield, Dewsbury, and online. No prior artistic experience or special materials are needed as all activities are run by experienced community artists, musicians & writers. Activities take place in groups where people can meet and talk with other people who are interested in being creative. See what activities people can join online or from home here.

Those attending Out of the Blue activities are supported to reach their personal and creative goals by completing a Creative Arts Plan with one of hoot’s creative support workers.

For more information on the Out of the Blue programme contact referrals@hootcreativearts.co.uk 

Working Together Better Partnership

hoot is part of the Working Together Better Partnership of voluntary sector mental health services in Kirklees. The aim of the partnership is to aim is to improve community mental health services, ensure services are accessible to all, enable and create independence and resilience, increase positive outcomes for people in our services, and increase prevention and early intervention work. https://www.workingtogetherbetter.org.uk/

Read about the Out of the Blue service in our reports:

April 2025 - March 2026

April 2024 - March 2025

April 2023 - March 2024

April 2022 - March 2023

April 2021 - March 2022

April 2020 - March 2021

 

Funded by

 

 Logo 2     NHS CCG Kirklees Logo

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What's On

Take a look at the creative activities on offer from hoot.

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10:30am - 12:30pm
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10:30am - 12pm
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Graphic with words saying being creative makes you feel good

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The latest news from hoot

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Hire hoot

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Run creative activities

hoot has over 18 years’ experience of running creative activities that are fun, engaging and good for our mental health and wellbeing.  We work with artists who specialise in harmony singing, music making, song writing, visual arts, creative writing and digital music making.

Workplace wellbeing

Lockdown and remote working has presented many challenges and insights into our working lives and the role it plays in life other than purely financial. As we consider the practicalities of returning to offices and what ‘agile’ working policies really entail we need to reconnect as colleagues and have some fun together. hoot can help you build this into a working week with creative activities that make you feel good. These can include a programme of sessions throughout the year or one off sessions to support a particular phase of change and readjustment. Please complete the enquiry form below to get in touch and discuss your particular needs.

Need help?

Telephone:  01484 516 224   |   E-mail:  info@hootcreativearts.co.uk

Your enquiry
I want to:
Your details
How did you hear about us?
Activity Details
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Hire space, digital studio, music studio
Please confirm you have the relevant insurance policies in place for the purposes of this booking
Run activity, workplace wellbeing
What sort of activity are you looking to book?
Will materials and equipment be provided?

Accessibility Statement

hoot is equipped with wheelchair ramps and an accessible toilet with alarm. 

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Two men sit side by side, one is using a glue gun on an egg carton whilst the other holds a glue stick

Support hoot

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Donate directly

If you'd like to send a donation direct to hoot you can do so via PayPal. You don't need a Paypal account. 

You can also donate by cheque made payable to Hoot Creative Arts.

Give as you live

You can nominate hoot to receive a donation from shops you use online. This does not cost you anything extra as the money is donated by the company and it's completely free to sign up. Support hoot whilst shopping online

Fundraising

We are very grateful to everyone who choses to fundraise for hoot and the work we do. If you are interested in fundraising for us please complete the form below to tell us a little bit about your idea and how we can contribute.

Other ways to support hoot

Sharing information about hoot helps people hear about our activities and how being creative can make us feel good and look after our mental health and wellbeing. You can help support us this way by following us on social media and liking and sharing our posts.

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Volunteering 

We have four opportunities to volunteer with hoot creative arts at our weekly creative groups. If you’re excited to try out new art forms, curious about different ways of being creative, and want to help others to
do the same then volunteering with hoot as a Group Support Volunteer might be the perfect fit for you.

  • Visual Arts, Tuesdays 2:00pm - 4:00pm in Dewsbury
  • Visual Arts, Tuesdays 10:30am - 12:30pm in Huddersfield
  • Singing, Thursdays 10:30am - 12:30pm in Huddersfield
  • Music, Thursdays 2:00pm - 4:00pm in Huddersfield

Download the Group Support Volunteer information pack here 

To apply, complete hoot’s online volunteering form below. Applications close: 12pm midday, Monday 27th April.

We will be in touch with applicants throughout the recruitment period.
Induction and training will take place in May 2026.

At hoot creative arts, we believe that the arts are for everyone and it’s important to us that our volunteering opportunities are open to a diverse range of people. Read about our commitment to Inclusion, Diversity and Equity in the Arts on our website.

Placements

We cannot currently offer placement opportunities to students.

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How would you like to support hoot?
Please indicate what your enquiry is regarding
Your Details
How would you prefer to be contacted?
Volunteering/placement at hoot
You are a Kirklees resident if your council is Kirklees Council
hoot can only offer volunteering opportunities to adults aged 18 or over
Volunteering with hoot is subject to a DBS check. If you do not already have you hoot will apply for one with you if you are offered a volunteering role. This is free of charge for volunteers.
Which activities would you be interested in volunteering at?
Is there a particular art form you would like to volunteer in?

You do not necessarily need experience in an art form to volunteer at hoot

Where could you volunteer?

When you volunteer with hoot we will cover reasonable out of pocket expenses for travel to the place you volunteer at with us.

Fundraising details
Would you like HOOT to post about your fundraising to our website and social media?
Monitoring Information

The questions asked in this section are to help us monitor who we are reaching when we are recruiting for volunteers. 

The information you enter here is strictly confidential and will not be visible to the hoot staff member who reviews your volunteering application. It will have no bearing on whether or not you are offered a volunteering role with hoot.

Please read hoot's privacy policy here

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Two men sit side by side, one is using a glue gun on an egg carton whilst the other holds a glue stick