Alena Rogozhkina of Edinburgh-based Ukrainian group, Abandoned Artists, tells us how a 'Come on in' microgrant from Creative Lives helped the group curate an exhibition to encourage new members.

"Creative Forces was an art showcase open to the public at LifeWithArt charity in Edinburgh. The exhibition included artwork developed by Abandoned Artists - a Ukrainian displaced community group - over the last 12 months.

The group of 16 participants got together every Friday between October 2022 and August 2023 to explore different ways to express themselves creatively, experimenting with various mediums. The purpose of the show was to celebrate the results the group
achieved and allow us to invite newcomers so they could join us. We also have just officially incorporated as Abandoned Artists CIC (so happy about this!) - so thank you so much to Creative Lives for helping us on the journey!

The money that we received from the 'Come on in' microgrant went towards refreshments, fittings and installation, printing materials and a freelance photographer fee. As a result of the exhibition, eight new people joined the group!"