"It takes GRIT" Nuneaton’s Artistic Renaissance

In a quiet town like Nuneaton, filled with endless cafés and charity shops, the weather is dreary but a few locals and people from neighbouring towns have come together for the bi-weekly "Sketch Club" hosted at GRIT Art Central. Led by three passionate artists, Alisha Miller, Nathan Parker, and Simon Winterman.

GRIT started as a base for each of the three artists to work on their projects which later sparked a conversation about a shared common goal — to connect their community through art and give a spotlight to the hidden talents around Nuneaton and Warwickshire. "We kind of pulled together, weren't we? It was by Jane [Hytch] from Imagineer," recalls Nathan. "Yeah. We were presented with a possibility, a bit of a dream scheme really," Alisha further explains, "Our first vision for this building was just to be a base where we could be together to make the work we're being paid to make." The projects include Verbatim and physical theatre led by Simon, Nathan's street artwork called "Portrait of a Town", and Alisha creating "Convoy" — a project bringing transit art to the town centre.

"The idea was to just have that open door and discover what creativity is in the town," Nathan emphasises. GRIT became a programme to encourage those with no creative spaces or outlets to get a sense of belonging. Alisha reflects, "So the building started as a space to engage with members of the public to feed into our separate projects. But it's just become bigger than that as well and hopefully, we'll work beyond those final pieces of work."

The artists of GRIT found inspiration for their work through interactions with the community. Alisha explains, "Engaging with people in their workplaces... to engage in a conversation about whatever the subject matter is I'm researching." However, there have been challenges along the way as engagement with the local audience was met with confusion, as noted by Nathan: "Art is often perceived as not for us here... a lot of people come off the street and go, “it's a waste of money." he says. Simon emphasises that despite the challenges, trust and communication are important. "Once you start, you realise there's all these stories out there. Some are shared, some are common stories, and some are unique," he adds. One of the main goals for GRIT is to become a familiar space for creativity, where artists can share their work and be part of the community. Nathan sees their work as a way to encourage people to get more out of art: "For mental health, for your own well-being, to have that creativity," he states.

GRIT has created a compass to guide young creatives and artists in Nuneaton and connect them with opportunities around them, that may go unnoticed. The founders of GRIT are doing this by taking on the role of “art officers” and collaborating with other workspaces within Nuneaton and Warwickshire. Nathan states, “Hopefully, we can leave a bit of a legacy for other people to take on board. It's not just for us, it's to pass that Baton.” This aspect has also had a great impact on the ones running GRIT, offering them a purpose for their day-to-day. "I love the sense of community that it's given me," says Nathan. "Being surrounded by other practising artists, it's great." Alisha adds, “We can talk about the frustrations of trying to be creative and people that you have to deal with, the challenges that you come up against and have to overcome… and I haven't had that for a very, very long time in my world.”

Despite facing challenges and setbacks due to funding and uncertainties, GRIT is working to reclaim public spaces and create new ones. In a place where the arts are undervalued and underfunded, their goal is to spark conversation about the significance of creativity and art in the community and to empower individuals who have felt isolated in their passion for art.

As GRIT prepares for their August project "Art on the Streets," day which includes a series of films, theatre performances, and a final art exhibition, they are also reaching out to the community to encourage them to get involved in their creativity and connect with other artists. The three artists look forward to the event in the summer, hoping in the future if the opportunity presents itself, they will do multiple events across weeks in different venues but for now, “I'm looking forward to seeing the town and having some nice artwork.” Nathan concludes.

Nuneaton may have been called a 'cultural cold spot' back in 2022 by The Guardian but as Simon reminds us "That work is out there. It's not hidden. This isn't a desert of culture. It just perhaps needs a little bit of teasing."

For more details and to get involved, follow GRIT on Instagram & Facebook.