About us
Brook Arts Hub is located in the leafy village of Shottery, Stratford upon Avon, right next to Anne Hathaway’s Cottage and opposite The Garden Café. The building, a thatched cottage, is owned by the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, who has leased it to Arts Rising Collective for an initial two-year period.
Arts Rising Collective (ARC) is a Community Interest Company (CIC) created in February 2021 by a group of local creatives, with the aim to support the creative community in and around Stratford upon Avon, provide more artistic opportunities and ultimately an arts hub.
ARC started out as a grassroots campaign group, Art Rescue Campaign, focusing on building support for local creatives. The campaign then transformed into a registered CIC, Arts Rising Collective, now with more than 500 supporters and over 200 active members.
Who we are
ARC’s Mission, Vision & Values
Mission
Support local artists, creatives, and anyone interested to learn about the arts.Connect communities through the arts, including the provision of an arts hub.
Develop and enhance artistic opportunities for residents, and the wider community, via workshops, classes, events, networking opportunities, artist studios and a free warm hub. Provide a welcoming, inclusive space to improve community wellbeing through the arts. Enable local people to share and learn new skills, and to reduce loneliness.
Creativity
ARC’s vision is to create a welcoming and inclusive creative space for people of all ages, backgrounds and abilities. In our terminology ‘creativity’ and ‘the arts’ cover a broad range of disciplines, especially, but not limited to, the visual arts, creative writing and music.
Since its incorporation in 2021, ARC has witnessed an overwhelming need for more provision of these activities locally. Our aim is to provide affordable opportunities for people to come together to exhibit, share, teach and learn new creative skills. We believe in the transformative powers of creativity and the arts.
Our Vision
Our mission is to support local artists and creatives, as well as connecting communities through the arts, including the provision of an Arts hub, and develop the local creative economy for residents, and the wider community, via workshops, classes, events, networking opportunities and artist studios.
ARC seeks to provide a welcoming, inclusive space, improve community well-being through the arts, provide an opportunity to learn new skills and socialise.
Wellbeing
An increasing number of people of all ages suffer from mental and physical illnesses. Brook Arts Hub will be a place for wellbeing by offering a calm space as well as creative and restorative activities. Set in rich natural surroundings, Brook Arts House will embrace the healing power of nature and focus on the urgent necessity to heal nature itself.
ARC will encourage green initiatives such as walking and cycling to our venue, reuse materials and curate projects with a focus on nature and wellbeing. ARC will also programme talks, classes, workshops, events and exhibitions where the healing effects of nature, creativity and community are evident.
Community
ARC has established a thriving creative community which has grown steadily since 2021. At Brook Arts Hub we will nurture and expand this community, fostering a sense of belonging and the opportunity to forge new friendships and connections.
Combating loneliness and isolation is vital to ARC. By hosting creative classes, workshops, events and exhibitions, as well as providing artist’s studios and a warm hub, we will provide a friendly and inclusive environment, where everyone is equal, appreciated and welcome.