Katie founded Dandelion Arts Creative Ways to Wellbeing in 2020 at a moment in her life when she knew something had to change. She made a decision to do something tangible for her community. With a background in theatre and the arts, Katie began dreaming up ideas of intergenerational storytelling, and so Dandelion Arts was born. Dandelion Arts supports young and older people to create connections through collective creative projects and create pathways for healing.
Although the pandemic made founding Dandelion Arts difficult, Katie began her first project ‘I See You’ pre-pandemic in February 2022. ‘I See You’ listens deeply to the memories and wisdom of people living in UK care homes and carefully curates their stories into a piece of theatre performed by groups of local young people.
Since February, Katie has continued to bring connection and creativity to people living in York, and Dandelion Arts has grown thanks to funding support and local partnerships, including Mind. Katie runs two other initiatives - ‘Interconnected’ and ‘Community Smiles’. Both projects meet the needs of people locally and respond to the aftermath of the pandemic, for example by reaching people who are housebound and providing opportunities for them to have their voices heard and be creative. The projects Dandelion Arts run are devised and delivered by local people themselves as part of the Dandelion family. There is a huge focus on supporting people with mental health issues, and with a 25% increase in anxiety and depression worldwide post-pandemic the need for local projects like Dandelion Arts is only increasing.
Looking ahead, Katie sees mentorship, community strengthening and empowerment in the future of all projects that Dandelion Arts will run. Many people from the Dandelion family groups take on leadership roles, and Katie feels this is an important step in building confidence in the community.
Katie saw many crossovers between her work and The Cares Family when applying for The Multiplier. She applied to the programme to learn from other community leaders so she could continue to make changes locally.
Like The Cares Family, Katie sees the value in intergenerational relationships and storytelling. We selected Katie to be part of the 2022 cohort because she is tackling difficult issues through playfulness, the arts and creating inclusive projects for all ages. Katie gives a platform for people to be heard and the projects she runs create a sense of purpose and belonging - truly responding to the needs of her local community. And as for Katie, she feels her confidence is ‘growing day-by-day’ as a result of being part of The Multiplier and she has realised that just being herself is a powerful thing.