Art by Post: Rebecca’s story
‘We really loved the idea of using physical mail to build connections between people.’
Teenager Rebecca has been involved in a community choir since a very young age. It was through this choir that she was introduced to Art by Post, the Southbank Centre’s project to help keep people engaged in art during the Covid-19 pandemic, and encourage creativity.
This is Rebecca’s story of her participation in Art by Post, how she came to join the choir, and how the project has inspired her to try and establish her own arts-led charity, as told to Mina Holland.
Rebecca
Volunteer, 16, Aberdeen
‘I’ve been part of a community youth choir called ACE Voices, in Aberdeen, since I was five. It has since become a much larger organisation, helping people of all ages to feel empowered by finding their voice. Alec co-founded ACE Voices and has been a kind of mentor to me and my friend, Louise, who started around the same time. Over the years we have both become interested in volunteering and leadership roles within the ACE Community.
‘When lockdown hit in 2020, the majority of ACE’s intergenerational projects stopped overnight, and Alec tried to think of ways to continue supporting the elderly. When we found out about Art by Post, we really loved the idea of using physical mail to build connections between people. We took some of the booklets and felt really inspired, so much so that it gave me the idea for setting up our own charity – one that builds links between the young and old, encouraging the elderly to come out of their shells. It will eventually be rolled out to people of all ages. We will do arts and crafts, baking, sing with them and foster friendships with them over Zoom, or by phone, or outside in person, and mentor a team of younger people to help too.
‘When we found out about Art by Post, we really loved the idea of using physical mail to build connections between people.’
‘I’ve been pictured wearing headphones because music got me through the first few months of Covid-19. I listened to it often – 1980s songs, musical theatre – like when we went out once a day for a walk in the woods near our house. Music has also played a significant role throughout my life; I have a heart condition called Ebstein’s Anomaly, and required a lot of surgery as a child. My siblings were really sporty, but because of my condition, I needed to find other passions, which have come in the form of piano, drama and the ACE Voices choir.
‘Just before lockdown, I was told that I had to shield for 14 weeks – my condition put me in the extremely vulnerable group. It gave me a taste of how hard quarantine can be, even though I live at home with my parents and two siblings. My mum, who is a vaccinator, has been really shocked by how isolated some people were in our city – sometimes she was the first person they’d spoken to for months. Covid-19 has brought to light the loneliness epidemic, which has been developing for many years.
‘When the pandemic hit, there were of course pictures of rainbows everywhere – they represented togetherness and optimism. I think we have to look at Covid-19 that way; it’s been hard, but it has also fostered a community spirit.’
‘I attended an online workshop for Art by Post called Grow Together, hosted by artists Bibo and Brian Keeley, a couple who make work in response to ecological issues and wellbeing. They were shielding even before Covid-19 because Brian has had a heart transplant. I found their workshop, and the booklet they helped to produce, very inspiring because they use creativity to allay people’s fears. In tribute to this, to Art by Post, and to an ACE project with Cummings Park Community Flat and Heathryburn School, we have named our charity-to-be We Grow Together – Brian, Bibo Stephanie from the Barn and Alec are all mentoring Louise and I as we develop our idea for the charity and harness the power of young people to offer support and comfort to older, isolated people.
‘There seems to be a tradition in my family of naming charities after things with a personal resonance. My mum runs a charity for patients with Ebstein’s Anomaly called Rebecca’s Rainbow Heart, in reference to a time in hospital when I was little. I was having my heart scanned and saw lots of colours on-screen – a sign that there was something abnormal, because unoxygenated blood was flowing where oxygenated blood should have been – but I didn’t see a problem – ‘Mummy, I’ve got a rainbow in my heart’, I said. Rainbows have been a part of my life ever since, a symbol for looking to the positive. When the pandemic hit, there were of course pictures of rainbows everywhere to inspire a sense of shared hope and gratitude. Once again, they represented togetherness and optimism. I think we have to look at Covid-19 that way - it’s been hard, but it has also fostered a community spirit.’
An exhibition of selected works submitted as part of Art By Post, debuted at the Southbank Centre in September and is now on a UK tour. It is currently at De Montfort Leicester University until 19 February.
Rebecca was talking to Mina Holland. Deputy Editor of Guardian Feast, Holland writes about food, lifestyle and culture and is the author of The Edible Atlas, and Mamma: Reflections on the Food That Makes Us.
The Barn is an Art by Post delivery partner.
