Why did we start UC CREATIVES?
Universal Credit (UC) is the key state benefit for working aged people in the UK. UC has been rolled out across the UK since 2014 and in July 2023 there were 6.1 million people claiming. People claiming UC can be in or out of paid work, and can have long term health conditions and disabilities. As the number of people claiming UC is rising (estimated to be 8 million by 2024), research is highlighting problems with its design and roll out and showing negative affects on health. Our own research of seventy people's accounts of living and claiming UC was the stimulus for the UC CREATIVES project. The team wanted to work with people to express their experiences in ways that went beyond spoken words in a research interview. People have a lot to say that can be shared in more innovative ways, and the team wanted to bring folks together to do this.
Members of the UC CREATIVES team have a history of creative collaborations. In 2019/2020, Mandy and Suzanne worked with Cap-a-Pie Theatre Company & Laura Lindow (writer) to produce a play called ‘CREDIT’. The team wanted to continue this collaboration and try other creative ways to share people's experiences of UC.
How has 'DO UC US?' been coproduced?
Our exhibition, DO UC US? is the result of a year long collaboration. The organising team had several months of designing and planning the project. The Steph worked in partnership with public co-producers, PJ and Lisa, to design and deliver the programme of workshops. The project began in February 2023 and all of our sessions were held in the warm and welcoming setting of St Vincent's, Byker and SVP Deaf Centre Newcastle, often featuring glorious home cooked food. The project developed and grew from our original plan as we collaborated and tailored the project to the needs of the group. Our team (Steph, PJ, Lisa, Suzanne & Jacques) facilitated a series of workshops, art drop-ins and discussion sessions. We also collaborated with Cap-a-pie who delivered a fantastic creative writing and drama workshop. Our exhibition was held after four months of almost weekly collaboration in-person (with options to join remotely via Zoom) with the UC CREATIVES group members. What you see in our DO UC US? exhibition has been curated collaboratively and the art work belongs to our 7 CREATIVES.