The Purple Dog Story

Purple Dog Arts is a community arts engagement consultancy, working to create communities through the performing arts all across the UK.

Operating since 2021, Purple Dog has worked across a variety of community settings, organisations and charities to improve the lives of people through co-creation, connection and collaboration.

What we want to achieve

Our mission is to create real, tangible communities throughout the performing arts across the UK.

In these turbulent times, we know that local, peer support is more important than ever. Where services are stretched and people can so easily fall through the gaps, it is imperative for local communities to support and look out for one another. But we also know that local community settings are some of the most under-funded and under-valued in the country, and don't always have the ability or the means to develop and sustain meaningful community engagement.

That's where Purple Dog Arts comes in - we work with local community settings, organisations and charities to deliver community building performing arts projects, creating a real sense of comraderie and friendship within local communities. We strive to engage the hard to reach, create friendships and support networks, and encourage communities to rely on each other in times of hardship, all through the mediums of music, dance and drama.

We love to be involved in projects for everyone, from newborn babies to older adults, as we know everyone has a place and a purpose in our society.

Our story

In 2020, the UK was hit by the Coronavirus, and the reaction of the public was to tackle isolation by creating community in any way they could. Never before had the country experienced something like this, and in times of trouble they rushed to support each other.

The beautiful stories of peer support and camaraderie in the face of an unknown fear inspired Emma Edwards, our Founder and Lead Engagement Producer, to try to continue this real sense of community once the lockdowns were over.

Inspired to create community through the arts, Emma began a freelance portfolio focused on improving lives through the performing arts in 2021, working with a variety of charities and arts organisations and gaining experience and knowledge in running arts projects for all ages, from newborns to older adults.