Crass Routes, Artist initiated project, 2007-2016
Crass Routes, Director Janette Porter
Founder
and former Co-Director Marko Muller
Reflective Narrative
Crass Routes (CR)
was a small, non-profit, artist-led organisation based in the Merseyside area.
It was set up to respond to a clear gap in support, offering creative and
holistic workshops for people on the margins of society, with the aim of
improving their quality of life and overall wellbeing. At its core, CR focused
on recovery through a personalised and holistic approach, recognising that many
of the people involved had complex and varied needs. CR reached out mainly to
individuals experiencing homelessness, including those sleeping rough, as well
as people facing poor mental health and substance use issues. Most participants
were dealing with multiple challenges at the same time, which often made it
difficult for them to access or stay engaged with mainstream services. A
central part of CR’s ethos was its belief in the power of art as a way of
supporting recovery, giving people the space to express themselves, rebuild
confidence, and reconnect with who they are, reclaiming their true self. CR
worked alongside organisations such as Big Issue, The Whitechapel Centre, Genie
in the Gutter, Fallen Angels, and Wirral Mind, as well as through street
outreach, helping to reach those who are often the hardest to reach.
Crass Routes aimed
to aid recovery through creative and holistic workshops leading to live public
events and community action. We offered workshops in and outdoors, live public
art events, community action through group sessions of spiritual wellbeing
work. We took an holistic approach to wellbeing, offering skills and spiritual
recovery through personalised group workshops. We rooted our work in personal
grounding, emotional stability, group support of a personal growth in recovery.
The workshops offered voice work, physical and emotional exercise, a safe space
for being. We mainly worked with vulnerable and marginalised people in the
Merseyside area, homeless, those suffering from addiction (both in and out of
recovery) and adults with mental/emotional distress who want to take action to
improve personal wellbeing. We work together towards public live art events
when we actively engaged with the public through displays of action and
engagement.
Copyright of photographs belongs with the artists
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Crass Routes Projects
Out the Bag/Apple Avenue/Shedding/Walk Unknown/The Healer Within/Time to Shine/Time and Space/Soft Breath/Dream Outload/Songs on Toast/Live Art Action/Giving Back/Art Beat/Cold Hand Warm Heart
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Crass Routes Activities
Crass Routes actively created public works and performances between 2007-2016. Crass Routes major projects and activities during this period are outlined below.
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2026,
April, Out the Bag Exhibition and workshops
Out the Bag, sleeping bag and film on exhibition in ‘Data as a Story’ Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU), Mount Pleasant Library supported by two workshops ‘Out the Bag – Stories, Stitching, and Social Change’ hosted by Janette Porter Crass Routes, Director and Lecturer at LJMU.
Latest Out the Bag film Launch Stories, Stitching and Social Change
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2024, Out the Bag, presented at Art and Activism, for 'impactful' research, round table discussion, invited guest Janette Porter Crass Routes, Director and Lecturer at LJMU
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HIATUS
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2016
June,
Out the Bag, Live
performance, Growing the Bag,
Liverpool
A
Breathing Space, Walk, Play, Share, Hilbre Island
Out
the Bag, Live performance, Growing the Bag, Liverpool
Crass Routes Impact Film made by LJMU Media Student Adam Roberts
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2015
April,
Out the Bag, Live performance, Growing the Bag, Birkenhead
2014/15, Year Long, Liverpool
University Interchange Programme, student participant Deveena Sahota. Impact
Report quote from report author D Sahota:
Focusing now on the role and
purpose of emotions, Barnes (2008) sees emotions as key in the success of
collective action. The presence of emotions in collective action allows their
purpose and outcome to be achieved, creating positive identities and allowing a
sense of well-being to be experienced amongst all those involved (Barnes,
2008). The emphasis in this line of thought is on sharing personal experiences
and allowing members to express freely any emotions which characterise their
way of life (Barnes, 2008). Crass Routes without doubt exhibits all of the
above characteristics regarding the presence of emotion in collective action
and in aiding towards well-being. Collective action carried out by the
organisation, allows their members to visibly see that Crass Routes are devoted
to their needs and views and due to the safe, non-judgemental space they offer
in their workshops, members are able to talk about their personal emotions and
experiences freely. Rather than dismissing organisations such as Crass Routes,
their unique approach and creativity can begin to be appreciated, accepting
that organisations like Crass Routes “are often sensitive to moral dilemmas the
rest of us ignore; they sometimes generate new ways of understanding the
complexities of the human condition” (Jasper, 1997: 13).
March,
Apple Avenue, Gilroy
Road Allotment West Kirkby, celebration and sculpture unveiling, West
Kirkby
December,
The Healer Within, Wirral
Mind, Birkenhead
2014/15 year long, LJMU Student Intern quote:
Out the Bag project gives
vulnerable people in communities the opportunity to express their hopes, fears,
and thoughts in a personal ‘pass it on’ process. The bag is a sleeping bag
symbolises the rough sleepers of the North West, as well representing people’s
own state of mind; how do we see when we sleep, who would we invite to get in
the bag?
The project explores how
creative recovery can give vulnerable people access to parts of themselves that
can be hard to find. And though taking the bag to public spaces and inviting
members of the public to add to the bag, and enjoy dance and music together,
the participants reconnect with the community.
The ideas came
from researching the best ways to create safe participatory activities that
could be shared in public to give more dimension to the image of vulnerable
adults. This research is part of the long process of engaging with mental
health, homeless people, substance misusers, and people in recovery. As well as
local service providers and the NHS.
September,
Crass Routes AGM, The Brink, Liverpool
July,
Crass Routes
invites you to a Hilbre Island Walk led by Transition Town, West Kirkby
July,
Time to Shine, West Kirkby
June,
Crass Routes award from LJMU, Humanities and Social Sciences conference,
Scholarly Snaps, Winner, Peoples Prize ‘Out the
Bag’
June, Film Screening and Crass Routes workshop, St Georges Hall, of Out the Bag, film made by Liverpool John Mores University Media Student Adam Roberts
June
- Conference/Flash Mob Out the
Bag performance, St Georges Hall, Liverpool
- Apple Avenue
celebration day, West
Kirkby
Time to
Shine, West Kirkby
Dream
Out loud, March, Wirral MIND, Birkenhead
March,
Tree Planting at Apple Avenue, Gilroy Road Allotment, West Kirkby
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2014
August,
Crass Routes sponsors Turning Green to Brown, Sefton
Park Meadows, campaign, Liverpool
May,
Film Launch,
Crass Routes Bricks and Pieces CR film made by Film Maker, Rebecca
Stocks
Crass
Routes Staff
Artist Training, Opening
Doors, Tate
Liverpool
Soft
Breath, Wirral Mind, Birkenhead
A
five-week course offering exercises which strengthen both our physical wellbeing
and spiritual health. We create a safe space for stilling of the mind, sharing
our experience and hope and increasing
our sense of worth.
Out
the Bag Exhibition,
Toxteth Library, Liverpool
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Presenting
Out the Bag project
The Healer Within, The Fountain Project, Wirral Mind, Birkenhead
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2012
Time to Shine, St Luke's Church Liverpool
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2011
Shedding, Growing
Recovery, Gilroy Road Allotment West Kirkby, 3 sessions
Staff
Training, Indeed Strong and Clear, William Bloom, London
Time and Space workshops, Tate Liverpool
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2010
December,
Wirral Recovery Conference, performance, presentation and Walk Unknowing film
Screening, Birkenhead
December,
Walk Unknown workshop, Crosby Beach
September,
Crass Routes Exhibition, Shedding at Sanctum Liverpool Academy of Art, Liverpool
August,
Live Art Action workshop, Whitechapel
Centre to St Luke's Church, Liverpool
June,
Shedding workshop on Hilbre Island
May,
Walk Unknown workshop Crosby Beach
May,
Walk Unknown workshop, Liverpool City Centre
March,
Hilbre Island day of Walking to Recovery & Songs on Toast
March,
Walk Unknown workshop, St Luke's Church Liverpool
March, Crass Routes Visits, High Tide Exhibition at Liverpool John Moores University, Art Academy
March,
Shedding Workshop at Tate,
Liverpool
March,
Walk Unknown Workshop at St Luke's
Church and Cathedral Gardens, Liverpool
March,
Shedding workshop, Wirral Mind, The Fountain Project, Birkenhead
March,
Walk Unknown workshop, St Luke's Church, Liverpool
March,
Shed Hunting workshop, Gilroy Allotments West Kirkby
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2009
December, Bricks and Pieces Film Screening and workshop, St Luke's Church Liverpool, film made by Rebecca Stocks
November,
LIVE ART ACTION workshop, St Luke's Church Liverpool
August,
Walking Health Talking, St Luke's Church Liverpool
June,
Walk Unknown workshops at The Big Issue in the North office, Liverpool
June,
Crass Routes workshop at Street Faith, St. Luke's Church, Liverpool
June,
Walk Unknown workshop, Crosby
Beach
June,
Crass Routes, Pier Head Liverpool
workshop, Stories to Share for Bricks and Pieces film
May,
Crass Routes Walk Unknown: Liverpool city walk, street workshop and Acorn
Cafe
Walk Unknown Film , made by First Take
April,
Spirals and Reflection workshop, the Big Issue in the North office, Liverpool
April, Spirals
of Life Workshop, Ness Gardens Wirral
March
Art Beat, Giving Back, Pier Head – River Mersey Ferry
March,
Art Beat workshop, Hilbre Island
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2008
August, Walk
Unknown exhibition, Slavery Remembrance Day service at Liverpool Parish Church, Our Lady and St Nicholas,
Liverpool
2008
Walk
Unknown performance Liverpool City Centre
Crass
Routes workshop, Big Issue in the North office, Liverpool
Out
the Bag, recovery performance, St. Georges Hall,
Liverpool
Walk
Unknown workshop and gather materials for Live Performance, Crosby Beach
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2007
Crass
Routes workshops, The Big Issue in the North office, Liverpool
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In
Summary
Crass
Routes Artists Janette Porter and Marko Muller
Performances/Presentations/Exhibitions
o 2015
St Georges Hall - Out the Bag
o 2015 Birkenhead
City Centre - Out the Bag
o 2014 Toxteth
Library - Out the Bag
o 2013
Liverpool University - Out the Bag
o 2010
Wirral Recovery Conference – Walk Unknown
o 2008 Liverpool City Centre –
Walk Unknown
Awards, 2015, Liverpool John Moore’s University Faculty conference, Scholarly Snap, Winner, Peoples Prize Out the Bag
Academic
Support
Liverpool
John Moores University Internship Programme and University of Liverpool
Interchange Programme
Students
o LJMU, Adam
Roberts/Jamie Barton
o Liverpool
University, Davina Sahota
Commissioning
Artist Mike Kerslake (2
sculpture commissions)
Web
Support, Josh
Frost/Sam Meech
Photography Janette
Porter/Matt Thomas/Alison Goldborne
Film
Makers Adam
Roberts/Rebecca Stocks/First Take
Partners Ark
Project/Creative Encounters/Fallen Angels/C3 Imaging/Genie in the
Futter/Liverpool PCT, Walk for Health/Liverpool Licensing/Mellow Yellow/Mildmay
House/St. Luke's Church/Tate Liverpool/The Big Issue in the North,
Liverpool/The Brink/Transitions Town/Urban Strawberry Lunch/Wirral Ways to
Recovery Cafe/Wirral Mind Fountain Project/The Whitechapel Centre
Consultant LCVS
Funders Awards for
All/ Big Lottery Funding/Community Foundation/Faiths for Change/John Moores
Foundation/Liverpool PCT/Liverpool City Council/NHS Clinical Commissioning
Group Wirral & Liverpool/Third Sector Development Fund
Articles 2009 The
Big Issue in the North
Treasures Rosie Crane/Monna Alanko/Tom Wayles
for
more information contact Janette Porter at j.porter1@ljmu.ac.uk
Copyright
of photographs belongs with the artists