Arts for All, the popular UK programme brought to Bermuda by Masterworks Foundation last year to give free workshops, will be returning again in April, this time independently.

According to Geraldine Kempe, who is assisting with the forthcoming Arts for All workshops here, Caroline Barlow and Richard Tait, founders of UK-based Arts for All, will spend two weeks on the Island giving workshops between April 3 and 14. The first week will be devoted to YouthNet, while the second will be spent in outreach in local schools, as well as a day working with prison inmates.

Arts for All is a London-based charity dedicated to building the confidence of people of all backgrounds and ages through art. It was originally set up by Miss Barlow and Mr. Tait for the underprivileged in their community.

?By ?underprivileged? think anyone who is denied (exposure) to art, is lacking an outlet for expression, or who has simply never had a go at creating,? Miss Barlow says. ?That might include children whose families cannot afford art classes, but it might also include victims of bullying, or even professionals who feel socially isolated. It might also include someone who simply hasn?t ?done? art before, and doesn?t know where to start. Our mandate is to make art accessible to people of any age or background who might not otherwise get to experience the confidence that accompanies artistic creation.?

Week one with YouthNet is being funded by accounting firm Ernst and Young, while donations to fund the second week are still being sought.

?We are extremely grateful for Ernst and Young?s support,? Miss Barlow says, ?but we are still short of funds to run our sessions in the schools ? one of the environments where art is most needed. We want to capture the imaginations in schools which are struggling to motivate some children, and we want to share how to capture their imagination through interesting new creative techniques and mediums.?

?We want to give confidence to the unmotivated. It?s not about making a profit; it?s about keeping art alive ? especially for those who really need it,? Mr. Barlow adds. ?We see the enormous impact that our projects have bought to the London community where we are based, and we want to see such outcomes in Bermuda.?

Indeed, it is widely accepted that, in addition to its therapeutic dimension, artistic creation brings a sense of liberation and power.

?The mission of Arts for All is to bring art to whomsoever wants to experience it, and to watch the blossoming of confidence and pride ? not to mention the vibrancy of the projects themselves ? that evolve,? Mrs. Kempe says.

The local connection with Arts for All began in London in November, 2004 during the Masterworks ?Painters in Paradise? exhibition at the Guildhall. Miss Barlow and Mr. Tait were impressed with Masterworks? ideas, and its director, Tom Butterfield, recognised the immense value of the duo?s vision and invited them to Bermuda twice last year to showcase the power of art in the community.

The venture proved a resounding success ? so much so, in fact, that its workshops were over-subscribed, and all participants thoroughly enjoyed their experience.