Based in rural Somerset, OSR Projects continue to produce ambitious, critically, and socially engaged art projects locally and further afield. Public participation, conversation and sharing ideas are fundamental to our work; placing people at the centre of artistic activity through creative partnerships, community collaboration, and diverse modes of engagement. Our activities in 2025 have included: OSR was successful with an Arts Council England Grant which will allow the festival to go ahead in May 2025. Two Co-curators were appointed, and planning and artist commissions commenced for Od Arts Festival – Thinking in Circles 2025. A fundraiser took place in January 2025 and we had live music and a fish and chip supper. Along with a creative writing workshop before the event. We had a successful auction with ceramics made by the team and donated. All proceeds went towards the festival. In the lead up to the festival was a one day seminar with three of the artists featured in the arts festival giving a talk about their practices. Attracting attendees was hard work and we think this was due to the cost of living crisis we are currently experiencing. Personal invites worked for numbers. The festival brought an audience of 1000 plus visitors to the villages of East and West Coker 20 Artists were commissioned. We had 36 volunteers steward the exhibitions venues. The villages were a flurry of life and excitement over the weekend in May. We had a FOUR STAR review in the Guardian! The evaluation document is on www.odartsfestival.co.uk and short festival film was commissioned by Liberty Smith. Our project Community Clay has provided: Young Potters Project – OSR Projects partnership with East Coker Primary school for pupils that face financial or social barriers to participation. We hosted a four week course (2.5 hours per week) exploring the basics of hand building with clay and a final project using the skills learned to create a final piece in line with the current school curriculum. x12 year 4-6 pupils. Thursday Night potters is an adult pottery session focused on (but not exclusive to) local residents with all abilities. We have run up to 15 sessions to date between 6-8 weekly sessions, all of which have been fully booked. Each session has x10 students. NEW Thursday Morning potters is an adult pottery session focused on (but not exclusive to) local residents with all abilities. We have run up to 3 sessions to date 6 weekly sessions, all of which have been fully booked. Each session has x8 students. The focus of the pottery-based projects is a way to further develop OSR Projects as a hub for creative community activity with a specific aim to provide opportunities for hard to reach groups and those that face social or financial barriers to participation. Although West Coker and surrounding area is currently ranked 'as amongst the 40% least deprived neighbourhoods in the country' according to the 2019 Index of Multiple Deprivation, a large part of our community faces financial and social barriers to participation in local activities, and the local school is failing to recruit enough pupils to make it viable despite the number of families with young children in the area. We have put a call out for a new director and had responses. Deadline 20th December and we will interview suitable candidates in the new year.

Somerset is highly rural with an ageing population, which is set to rise from 555,195 to around 600,000 by 2030. The Community Clay project and Od Arts festival help us engage difficult-to-reach audiences locally, as well as attracting visitors interested in art, health equality and social justice from further afield. Through the development of our projects we have explored new models of arts participation and co-ownership, including the formation of a diverse ‘Od Arts festival Committee’ that have supported us in making key decisions about the festival. Local business and community groups provide the venues for the festival, and, as local stakeholders, have been part of the consultation process from the research stages through to delivery.

No remuneration was received

No transfer of assets other than for full consideration