Art teacher and artist Rachel Duffield is the founder of Community Art Clubs, a CIC supporting people in rural communities to create and experience art. With a new evening art club starting in Kenninghall, Norfolk this Thursday, Rachel explains all
What is your artistic background? And how would you describe your artistic style?
I’ve worked in the arts and culture sector since 2005 – helping engage local people with their heritage as part of Norfolk Museums’ learning team and telling the stories of notable women from history as a freelance performer and public speaker. I was a founding force for Kick the Dust, Norfolk Museums’ highly successful youth engagement scheme getting young people started on careers in arts and culture, too. A few years ago, I had a BIG mid-life rethink (who doesn’t?) when I refocused on the ways visual art can support wellbeing rather than just hanging in galleries, and I attended a post-graduate art course in Norwich, to reinvigorate my own practice.
My own artistic style is first and foremost to communicate and express – that’s what I believe art is for – and in truth, teaching art has become my artistic practice, although my website gallery shows my fairly traditional work in oils – mainly to reassure my students I know what I’m doing! My real art form is to create and deliver the best art classes I can, with my values of community, empathy and personal growth at their core. All of this means that all my clubs aren’t just about having fun learning to make art – although of course, that happens every time. My practical experience means I always create an inclusive space, giving a warm welcome and differentiated, appropriate tuition to students across an enormous range of abilities and mindsets, so every student learns in the best way for them.
What led you to setting up Community Art Clubs and what is thinking behind it?
Community Art Club is just a thing I created just because I missed having the sense of community I’d so enjoyed and benefitted from growing up in the 1980s. I’m not religious, and I’m not sporty, so those pre-existing local groups didn’t appeal to me. I was also increasingly looking after my lovely elderly aunt over in Reepham and seeing all the ways she was benefitting from being embedded in her community there, and I was aware of growing evidence of the benefits of arts engagement and Third Places on physical and mental health and community cohesion. Our world is so online, I wanted to recreate a little bit of offline paradise; another reason I only teach in-person, not online. Therefore, in January 2024 I started my own art club! As attendance expanded in 2025, I grew confident for it to become a CIC and to start a second club. The first club now welcomes around 30 people each week, and the second has around 20. The vibe of friendship and laughter is proving contagious, with new faces joining every session, alongside regulars who’ve been coming since the start.
How many clubs are there and what happens at one of your sessions?
Our slogan is ‘Drop in, make art and make friends’ and the clubs do exactly what it says on the tin. We have two established clubs; the original one is based in Bunwell near Wymondham and runs on Saturday mornings 10-12. In late 2025 our second club started at Thompson near Thetford, running on alternate Mondays 10-12. Most people pay the suggested £5 donation. Some pay more, some less. All materials, plus tea coffee and biscuits are provided.
There’s no need to book, people just come along, find a seat, grab a cuppa and I lead them through the day’s art session together. It’s something different every single time – I haven’t repeated a session yet – or they can bring their own project to work in in good company. It’s art rather than craft, and we do watercolours, acrylics, gouache, pastels, pencils, charcoal, markers and fineliners – but not all at once!
What’s the latest development?
The latest development is our newest club which will be in the evening, to allow for new participants who are busy in the daytimes to come along. For this I’ve teamed up with a brilliant new community-centred eatery in Kenninghall, called ‘The Marketplace Bistro’. The same £5 suggested donation applies for all art materials and the tuition, and people will be able to buy delicious, locally made refreshments from the bistro itself. It starts on Thursday 19th March – look out for the posters for more details.
How can people find out more about the clubs and what you do in general?
CommunityArtClubs is our Facebook page which is updated all the time, and you can find a downloadable information sheet on the Community Art Clubs CIC page of my website, rachelduffieldart.com. My website has general info about me on it too, and I have my own Facebook page, RachelDuffieldArt.
What are your hopes and dreams for the CIC?
I hope to get funding so we can go on more trips to visit galleries, and I would love to start another club or two in other parts of Norfolk to spread the joy further, as the southwest of the county is well covered. I’ve also daydreamed about the ways the CIC might become a training ground for other community art teachers… watch this space!
The new evening Community Art Club starts at 7pm on Thursday March 19 at the Marketplace Bistro in Kenninghall. Drop-in/no need to book. All materials provided and all abilities welcome. For adults and teens. Suggested donation £5 per session or pay what you can. Contact RachelDuffieldArt@gmail.com. For information on all the community art clubs, visit Community Art Clubs CIC on Facebook.
Featured image of Rachel Duffield – Time To Be Photography
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