About the project

Futures of Care is People United’s collaborative, multi-arts programme exploring radical care – taking place across East Kent and online. As part of Creative Estuary Co-commissions, in 2022 People United will commission socially engaged artists from a range of lived experiences and backgrounds to create brand new artworks on the theme of “care”. Following the artwork’s release in 2022 a series of “Care Labs” will invite artists, producers, researchers to collaboratively create a blueprint for what caring practices in the creative sector could look like.

We Keep Each Other Fed, from 17 May 2022

The first commission of the series is We Keep Each Other Fed by Henry James Garrett. As the UK is gripped by the cost-of-living crisis, writer, illustrator and creator Henry James Garrett explores the notion of community and interdependence in his work We Keep Each Other Fed.

Using his signature subversive, yet humorous, illustrations, Henry James Garret’s (This Book Will Make You Kinder) work acknowledges the rising rate of food poverty whilst offering a signal to the power of mutual aid. Focusing on the benefit of reciprocal ecologies of care, We Keep Each Other Fed will see cartoons adorn open-access fridge spaces in East Kent – Our Kitchen – Our Food Club Thanet, Canterbury Umbrella Centre’s Social Health Café, and Dover Pantry. These collaborating organisations all have dynamic approaches to community building, offering affordable or free healthy food and place making.

We Keep Each Other Fed asks whether art can be both practical and beautiful. Artist-designed enamel tokens will encourage donations and involvement in these local organisations, leading to the positive and reciprocal cycle of caring within our local communities. The artworks will also feature online to be released in line with the installations in the spaces from 17 May – 19 May.

Henry says “I couldn’t have come up with a more fitting commission, and organisation to work with, had I sat down and tried to wish it up myself. All my art is aimed at making the world a kinder place, and I’m energised by the opportunity Futures of Care presents – particularly in this moment – to look forward, and to locate and imagine building on those practices that might make for more caring, resilient communities. It’s from community practices of mutual care that I believe the political possibilities we desperately need, will grow.”

About People United

People United is an arts charity based in Canterbury. The organisation works collaboratively, using creativity to practice and promote kindness that is strong, systemic and transformational.

Their vision is of a thriving, creative society where we are kind to ourselves, each other and the world. Working collaboratively they use creativity to grow the conditions for radical kindness to flourish and make change happen. People United believes that together we explore and champion the impact that kindness can have on our lives and society.

Visit People United and find out more

https://peopleunited.org.uk/futures-of-care/