Welcome to our September creative update!

This month, we’re celebrating a month full of imagination, collaboration, and vibrant community energy. From families enjoying art in the park to young people transforming clothing into wearable masterpieces, and from patients finding joy in creative sessions at Didcot Hospital to exciting plans on the horizon, there’s so much happening at Life Styling and the Life Space Project. Dive in to see what’s been inspiring our local community and what’s coming next!

Demascus Group – Fashion as Self-Expression

The Demascus Group is a vibrant collective of young people from South Abingdon – fun, straightforward, and full of energy. Usually found at the Gazebo sessions at the Rec, their creativity often begins in quiet spaces like their bedrooms, sketching ideas onto paper.

Supported by Life Styling and the Life Space Project, they stepped into a new creative environment – exploring fashion as self-expression. By re-imagining vintage clothing, they discovered that clothes can tell stories, carry emotions, and showcase individuality.

Highlights from the collection:

Talulah – cropped top and jeans, created with calmness and joy: “I feel calm and relaxed when creating – it makes me happy!”
Jessica – denim jeans transformed with flames on the pockets, bold and eye-catching.
Phoebe – jeans reshaped into shorts, filled with playful doodles.
Dylan – plain white trainers re-imagined in expressive green, inspired by Rick and Morty.
Pippa – denim pieces reflecting her love for sketching and design.

Even youth workers Lisa & Daisy joined in, experimenting with stencils, spray paints, colours, and textures to create the group’s name, Demascus. The project culminated in an exhibition of re-imagined clothing, celebrating creativity as self-expression and individuality.

Summer Pop-Up: Creativity in the ParK

Our Summer Pop-Up in South Abingdon Park was a wonderful celebration of art and togetherness, despite the rainy weather. Families, grandparents, and children all joined in – creating, laughing, and sharing the space.

Brought to life through Makespace & with gratitude to our amazing facilitators:

Michele Dennison – intergenerational expert
Thomas McLean – community artist
Life Styling & Life Space Project – rooted right here in South Abingdon, working closely with schools and youth groups
Cathie & The Vale Of The White Horse making these Pop-Ups possible!

Attendees shared their joy:

“Can we put this artwork up on display?”
“The stamp activity is spot on for all ages – adults and kids together.”
“It was very inclusive, especially for neurodivergent participants – nature-inspired and sparked imagination.”

Together, we created an Abingdon Forest – a collaborative artwork of stamped trees – alongside folding cards and postcards celebrating “nature in your surroundings.”

Thursday Club at Didcot Hospital

Our hospital creative group has a new name – chosen by the patients themselves! Welcome to the Thursday Club.

The group has been busy creating Mandelas, doodles, and imaginative artworks, bringing energy, connection, and positivity to the sessions.

Creative Me is Back

This term, Creative Me has returned with fresh energy. We’re already planning for our Christmas Pop-Up, where our young people will take the lead in organising and running the event – a big next step in confidence and creative ownership.

News Coming Soon

We’ll be announcing something very exciting soon… a brand-new creative programme for primary schools! Stay tuned.

Dreaming of a Community Mural

Looking ahead, we’re dreaming bigger with more community art projects. One of our next steps is to create a public mural – something colourful, collaborative, and rooted in Abingdon’s spirit.

💡 If you know of a wall or space that could become home to this project, please reach out – we’d love to make it happen together