Think Cre8tive Group CIC

Think Cre8tive Group CIC was formed in 2018 by Melanie Cossins and colleague Frances Turnbull to make a beneficial impact on people’s lives through the Arts. Our organisation delivers creativity through creative arts as a health intervention within local communities face-to-face and nationally online.  With over twenty years of experience each, teaching music and singing to a variety of different people, they both have seen first-hand the benefits that singing and creativity has on people’s emotional wellbeing.  Mel and Frances are both specialists in working with young people and adults using singing to not only teach music but bring a sense of joy, raise confidence & self-esteem, give feelings of value, sense of belonging and lower stress. It is both their professional and personal experiences and desire to make everyone’s lives a little bit better, that drives them and our projects at Think Cre8tive Group.  Melanie has a special interest in using creativity in neurodivergence provision, and is a qualified Early Years music specialist, Arts Award Assessor and Singing for Health & Wellbeing facilitator who delivers all of our child-related, intergenerational, rehabilitation and computer design projects.  Frances’ special interests are neuropsychology and chronic illness, developing the theory behind the interventions. Using her favoured mediums of guitar and song, Frances currently delivers our Care Home Choir sessions in person and online. Our projects are always bespoke, created with our experiences and knowledge and in collaboration with our beneficiaries.  Our mum & baby singing group came about from Melanie's own personal experience with Post Natal Depression (PND) and depression. Sing It Out! Mama was designed to help mums gain confidence in themselves, their baby and grow a support network with other mums. This first ran this as a twelve-week project in 2019 and also won a Community Initiative award. Our local community-based sessions near Bolton & Wakefield have been held in community venues, residential care homes and residential settings.  To date these sessions have seen 450 beneficiaries across 40 face-to-face sessions and 4 public performances, and in addition to Sing it out! Mama we have held the following sessions: Sing it out! Reflections - For adults experiencing substance misuse. Sing it out! Everyone aloud – An intergenerational project in residential homes bringing younger people and older people together. Sing it out! Recycled teenagers – Bringing older people together through reminiscing. Sing it out! Over the years – Reminiscence for older people through singing & movement Mums Rock! Paint & Chat – for new mums and their babies. All of the above sessions helped beneficiaries create new social networks, build confidence, improve wellbeing, form meaningful relationships and common interests using creative activities.