hoot creative arts

25/12/2025

Merry Christmas from all the team here at hoot ✨🎄

21/12/2025

👏 2025 marks an incredible milestone for our volunteer Helen who has now been volunteering with hoot for 10 YEARS! 🎉

From all the team at hoot we want to say a huge THANK YOU for Helen's dedication and support over the years across our different projects ⭐

18/12/2025

🎉 What a fantastic final week before the break! 🎉

We had so much fun wrapping up our sessions and celebrating together this week. Here’s what we got up to:

- Creative Pathways: Completed their final dance together 💃
- Visual Arts: Finished their beautiful 3D artworks 🎨
- Creative Writing: Performed their wonderful pieces exploring dramatic writing and monologues. We were also joined by two actors from Proper Job Theatre who performed some of these pieces for us! ✍️🎭
- Digital Music: Listened to their tracks and enjoyed some snacks 🎶
- Visual Arts: Lit up their glass creations 🕯️
- Music & Visual Arts (Dewsbury): Both groups came together for a sing-along and a fun visual art activity 🎨🎵
- Singing: Sang some festive songs 🎶✨
-Music (Huddersfield) finished off their songs and compositions and ended with a group jam session 🎸🥁

A huge thank you to everyone who joined our sessions this year. You tried new things, created beautiful art, writing, music, sounds and more and made our sessions so special. We’re so proud of all the amazing work you’ve done! Thanks also to all the incredible artists and support workers who brought these wonderful sessions together for our participants.

We truly believe the arts are for everyone and being creative is not only fun but also fantastic for your mental health and wellbeing. ✨

We wish you all a wonderful break, however you celebrate and we’ll be back in the new year on Monday 5th January. If you’d like to join our groups, head over to our website to find out how to get involved and see what’s happening in 2026! 🌟

www.hootcreativearts.co.uk

18/12/2025

Our office is now closed and will reopen on Monday 5th January.

You can send an email to info@hootcreativearts.co.uk or leave a voicemail on 01484516224 and we'll be back in touch in January 2026.

11/12/2025

We loved being part of the Kirklees Culture Collective event at Amped - Kirklees’ brilliant new community venue, last week! 🎉 We brought a visual art activity and our community musician Rob Crisp even composed a brand new song on the day with participants 🎶✨

It was a pleasure meeting Huddersfield MP Harpreet Uppal MP and Mayor of Kirklees 2025-26 Cllr Liz Smaje and spending the day alongside fantastic local artists and cultural organisations including Proper Job Theatre Company The Childrens Art School Dark Horse Theatre UK Huddersfield Literature Festival Kirklees Local TV and so many others.

A truly lovely day exploring the value of culture and celebrating all the ways creativity makes you feel good. 💛

09/12/2025

We've thoroughly enjoyed working with Creative Steps to connect with new volunteers ⭐ Check out their programme for anyone 16+ in West Yorkshire who is interested in volunteering in a creative role, work placements, workshops & support to apply for courses or employment.

It's great to see so many creative steps participants getting into within Kirklees!
A big thank you to hoot creative arts for all of their support throughout the creative steps programme ❤️

01/12/2025

Last week we took our Dewsbury visual arts group to the lovely Oakwell Hall to see The Big Blue Denim Jacket, which they created and is on display now until January. Here are a few snapshots from our day trip!

Our first stop was the beautifully made denim jacket, where each participant had contributed a patch. We then explored the rest of the house and admired the other embroidered textile works created by contributors as part of this project.

A big shout out and thanks to all our participants who contributed and worked so hard and to everyone behind the project. Thanks also to Oakwell Hall for a wonderful visit!

A bit about the project: Our Tuesday visual arts group first visited The Red Dress at Oakwell Hall during the Woven Festival in June 2025, a global textile project embroidered by participants from 51 countries. Inspired by the stories and skill stitched into the dress, the group, with hoot visual artist Sally Barker, worked to create The Big Blue Denim Jacket in response.

“Denim jackets are timeless, appeal to people from all cultures, and to both men and women. Our theme was celebrating peace, community and coming together. Each participant chose words and symbols to represent the things they love – home, food, pets, clothing, landscape. We used sewing, drawing with fabric markers, beadwork, sequins, ribbons and fabric brought from home, each with personal meaning. Everybody's work is unique and beautiful.”
— Sally Barker, hoot visual artist

Alongside the visual artwork, hoot’s Dewsbury music group, with musician Rob Crisp, wrote, performed, and recorded two songs inspired by the Denim Jacket and The Red Dress, listen here: https://hootsoundmove.bandcamp.com/album/denim-jacket-girl-who-wore-the-red-dress
You can visit The Big Blue Denim Jacket and other embroidered textile works at Oakwell Hall’s Shared Threads exhibition this winter. The exhibition is FREE and open weekends, 12 noon – 4pm, from Saturday 22 November 2025 to Sunday 4 January 2026.

Find out more about the project here: hootcreativearts.co.uk/latest/the-big-blue-denim-jacket

Woven in Kirklees The Red Dress

25/11/2025

For artists, practitioners, creatives, and anyone interested in the transformative power of culture for our communities. No need to book, all welcome.

FRI 5 DEC - 1PM - 5PM at AMPED 29 Zetland St, Huddersfield HD1 2RA

24/11/2025

20/11/2025

Check out our Big Blue Denim Jacket this weekend at Oakwell Hall Country Park! Shared Threads free exhibition is open every weekend until Sunday 4th January ⭐

17/11/2025

Did you know?💫 We run Monday sessions at hoot for adults (18+) with learning disabilities and/or autism - part of our Creative Pathways project, this term we’re moving to the rhythm with dance!

They run every Mondays at hoot:
🕥 10:30am – 12:00pm OR
🕝 1:30pm – 3:00pm

Here’s a look back at some of the amazing clay creations from last term. Each term brings a new artist and fresh creative experience!
Want to join the fun?

📞 01484 516224
📧 info@hootcreativearts.co.uk
🌐 hootcreativearts.co.uk/projects/creative-pathways