IN THE SPACE WITH… GERALDINE CRIMMINS

It is at the core of Old Diorama’s charitable purpose to provide space and opportunities for local and creative communities, and in doing so, we are fortunate to meet fascinating people doing inspiring things.

Geraldine Crimmins is one of those people. She discovered her love of painting around fifteen years ago whilst in prison for a drug offence. She became the artist in residence here in 2018, has exhibited here in the past and now works part time as a member of our Operations & Hires team.

Geraldine took the time to talk to us about her journey, the arts, volunteering, and her new exhibition which will be in our foyer until January 2023!

Would you mind telling us about your story; and how it led you to ODAC originally?

You could say that I’ve had a checkered life. By the time I was in my early 30s, I had my own business but I had my first of two bouts of addiction. The first time I didn’t lose anything, it affected my health but I still had my home and my business. The second time I was about 38. I had a breakdown and relapsed - my mental health was terrible and I ended up on the streets within a year. All my money was gone. I’d lost two businesses, a house, everything.

Then when I was 50, I ended up in prison. I’d been using for 10 years by then and my body was starting to collapse - I was in agonising pain. I needed the drugs to be out of my system to think clearly and realise that I had to take responsibility for my own anger and bitterness. During the 10 years of my addiction, no one could get through to me and I would just feel guilty all the time.

So when I came out and started to rebuild my life. I had no contact with any of my old friends because I’d been clean before in my thirties. I knew the minute I contacted people they’d be offering me stuff and it was very lonely for a while.

After a while I volunteered for Crisis for Christmas and they said I was eligible to go and work on their programme. So then I went there and I started painting. 

Was that the start of your painting career?

I actually started painting in prison, there was a programme there, where someone came in with some paints and I did a water colour. It just happened to work, and six people offered to buy it! The tutor came to see me after and told me I had two commissions - that encouraged me to want to follow it up when I came home.

So that’s why I started painting at the art classes at Crisis Skylight and became a volunteer in their art room.

Then I did a BTEC in Westminster Adult Education. The first year I was OK, probably 10th in the class out of about 13 - probably 2nd or 3rd for portraits. Then the next year, I ended up getting student of the year out of ten thousand students!

The next year they put me up for The Festival of Learning awards, which was an adult education week. I won that for the London region. That led to more opportunities including having my first exhibition in Turnpike Lane - which led to another exhibition at a gallery.

By 2018, I was self employed, and had support from the national enterprise scheme, and that’s when David Tovey put me forward for the Artist in Residence at ODAC and did the first exhibition here.

What impact did ODAC make on your work and life at that time?

If you’re painting at home, you need a lot of discipline because there’s always things going on. I was able to get up in the morning and come to ODAC. I’d come down here and paint, and I had the pressure on to produce material for the exhibition three months later. I wouldn’t have said I was a professional painter at that time - I was still learning. ODAC gave me the opportunity for professional practice, routine, and the deadline.

And what impact were you making with your work?

While I was at Crisis as a volunteer I wanted to introduce the members to the art classes that I had access to at adult education. If you were on benefits the courses were free.

I met a lady here who came to buy a painting from me. She asked if she could help me, and I said I’ve been helping people and I’d love to get some funding for it. Hampstead School of Art got onboard as well offering classes.In the end,I got some money and was able to spend a couple of hours each week working on it. I got people from Crisis to go to where my BTEC was, and one of the guys that I got into the BTEC ended up at Camberwell Arts School. I organised an exhibition for another Crisis member and he sold loads of his work.

Eventually I was given an exhibition here for my mentoring programme. There were 17 people exhibiting in the gallery space, and some of them sold paintings which was a huge step for them.

Are there any programmes that ODAC is currently involved with that particularly excite you?

I’m really excited about One Fest in January. I'll probably do some Art workshops - combining Art and wellbeing at the weekends. One Fest, particularly at ODAC combines the two things that have helped me most over these last fifteen years: volunteering and creativity.  I think they’re good for the soul. Do something creative, and do something for others. 

Why do you think art can be such a help for people who are experiencing homelessness?

Well I think that first of all it gives people something to do for a few hours out of the day. A lot of the time, they’re very disconnected. It gives people a focus, and something to achieve as well as the opportunity to have conversations with other people, and to develop a skill.

There is a huge obstacle trying to re-enter society generally, and arts programmes can be a huge help in that transition.

And if you were offering some advice to someone looking to develop their art?

What worked for me is just about small steps. Give yourself permission to make bad art. Experiment and most of all enjoy it. When I went to life drawing first, I was a bit overwhelmed because there is so much to learn. But then I thought ‘Oh good - I got the elbow right there’ or ‘I got the angle right there’ and each week, you get a little bit better. It can take years to develop your skills and you have to be patient, and enjoy the process.

What is it you like most about working and exhibiting at ODAC?

I just love the atmosphere here and the team. I laugh a lot here. Everyone here is very funny and pleasant and it’s a real relief to come in. It’s so good to get me out of the house as well. It’s not good to stay sitting at home in a studio all the time in your painter’s clothes. It’s nice to put some makeup on and come to work. It is a pleasure to come here - it’s such a lovely place.

Thank you so much to Geraldine for taking the time to share her inspirational story with us. It is an absolute pleasure to have your work in our foyer, and we can’t wait to see what’s next!