The Accumulate workshops take place within the walls of London’s leading cultural institutions such at The Tate Modern, Somerset House, The Barbican and the V&A.
Long term homeless residents from hostels across the capital are invited along to take part in a variety of creative activities: photography, fashion, sculpture, pottery and radio workshops, run by an army of professional creative tutors.
The Accumulateteam help mentor, direct and inspire those on the course, encouraging them to express themselves, interact with others and support each other during the process. All culminating in an exhibition at Autograph in Rivington Place from 9thApril, where the participants can profit from their creativity.
The charity also helps source and fund scholarships for talented individuals to attend the Access to HE Diploma course in Design and Digital Media at Ravensbourne University London.
These Accumulate Scholarships enable people, who thought university education was unachievable, to achieve that goal. It is an exceptional and remarkable intervention, it gives people the chance to study at university, become productive members of society and strengthen and deepen their learning, skills and potential.
Nine Accumulate graduates have now attended Ravensbourne to complete a digital access course with some individuals progressing onto degree courses.
The project was founded in 2014 by Marice Cumber who has a background in creative education. Initially drawn to help her local homeless community she is delighted with how much the charity has grown in such a short space of time;
“The Accumulate creative workshops are planned to be fulfilling, meaningful and mentally engaging and, through their involvement, enable the Accumulate participants to unlock their learning potential and abilities, believe in themselves more, and so build their resilience, sense of purpose and ambition. The Accumulate participants’ self identity, self-value and esteem increases, they create friendships around shared interests and they develop and gain valuable skills that help them to navigate life, secure and remain in employment, enter education or training.