Rachel Toll is a local watercolour artist whose work is inspired by the landscapes and wildlife of Devon. She also paints endangered species and this year her polar bear was nominated for the prestigious David Shepherd Wildlife Artist of the Year Award. Here she reflects on how her painting has helped her cope with lockdown with the added pressure of undergoing treatment for cancer. She sees her bear as a symbol of hope, both for her and for the planet.
On 20 March Crediton Arts Centre shut its doors along with venues across the country. Overnight the Centre lost its main source of income from hiring its two studio spaces and selling tickets for events. The building may be closed, but much is going on behind the scenes to keep this busy community space alive and ready to reopen once lockdown is lifted.
People are finding all sorts of creative ways to entertain themselves during lockdown. One Crediton family, missing the contact with family and friends, decided to make their own dinner guest. Fiona MacBeth explains where the idea came from, how they funded and then filmed their project.
Make crochet hearts for bunting to hang in your window to cheer up passers-by, or be part of a national NHS initiative to make pairs of hearts to send to your local hospital, where one will stay with a critically ill patient and the other will be sent to their loved ones to bring them comfort.
