An Altrincham-based charity with a mission to improve health and wellbeing via various forms of art has launched its most recent competition.
Twice a year Inch Arts hosts a competition giving artists of varying abilities to showcase their work – each piece of artwork is judged closely by a fellow established artist.
This year the art will be judged by Sky’s portrait artist of the year, Tom Croft, who is well known for portraits of NHS staff during the pandemic.
The winner will take home £350 , with second place taking £150.
On Friday the preview for the exhibition for submitted artwork will take place.
Inch Arts not only showcase exhibitions and competitions but also strives to help the community by hosting classes and clubs.
Every Thursday people gather to attend the ‘human stories’ group which allows people who are experiencing struggle to have an outlet to talk whether they are struggling with mental health, addiction or lived in a country with prejudice.
Classes funded by Youth Music for Trafford carers are also held to allow them people to escape their daily life once a week – the classes teach young carers how to record and produce music with a hope of inspiring a young generation of carers.
Since the cost of living crisis has left many struggling the charity is also providing space for those who are struggling to have a safe and warm space to go and even offer a refreshment.
A number of classes are held by the charity from life drawing classes to expressive painting.
In lockdown organisations like the charity saw a shortage of COVID-19 masks as the virus spread with Trafford infection rates being particularly high.
In just one week the charity raised £8000 to fund their own project which they printed 20,000 PPE masks in house to provide to the public.
Inch Art also marked Queen Elizabeth II’s Jubilee in the summer with their ‘Trooping of the Corgis’ where 50 ceramic corgis were made and decorated by a range of artists , school children and groups.
This May King Charles III will have his coronation and Inch Arts will mark this occasion again by making one huge corgi.
In 2010 Altrincham had the highest amount of closed shops in the country with almost a third of the high street shops being vacant it was even dubbed a ‘ghost town’
Jo Crushing, Inch Arts owner, has previously worked in architecture but moved onto arts after the birth of her children and opened the charity in Altrincham in an attempt to help with the redevelopment of the town.
Crushing said: “Opening the charity in Altrincham adds a second layer to redevelopment and gives people a reason to come to Altrincham apart from restaurants and bars.”
