About Us

Elevator Arts was established in February 2020 to support young people’s mental health and wellbeing through high-quality creative projects in Southend and South Essex.

We work with communities experiencing disadvantage and barriers to learning, inclusion and opportunity.

We create youth & community centred projects reaching those with least access to arts activity.

Through our creative projects we help young people build confidence, resilience, and essential life skills.

Find out more about our projects

BLAST Youth Theatre member: Child wearing a dragon costume with blue scales and purple spikes, smiling and adjusting the neck tie, in a room with a blurred background.

A woman lying on the floor with two children, one blond boy in a red shirt and blue shorts, and another person in a black hat, engaging in arts and crafts activities with markers, glue sticks, and paper.

We work in partnership with education providers, social care and support organisations, libraries, arts organisations and charities for vulnerable families.

This means we can widen access to creative opportunities for those who might otherwise be excluded, and provide joined-up support that responds to the needs of the young people we work with.

A young girl smiling and playing with a cardboard tube while seated on a wooden floor. She is wearing a blue long-sleeve shirt with a Frozen character and sitting cross-legged. A water bottle with planet graphics is placed beside her.

“High quality arts engagement, a flexible approach, genuine outreach to vulnerable children and young people”

— Ragdoll Foundation, Sound ON funder

Explore our programme

Young girl smiling and holding a colorful fish-shaped puppet during a school performance with other children holding puppet masks in the background.

Community

Two young girls, one in a school uniform with a striped tie and the other in a gray sweater, are smiling and engaging in a playful interaction indoors, with one girl raising her finger.

Schools

Four women sitting at a table engaged in conversation, one woman in the foreground with her back to the camera wearing a black T-shirt with partially visible text, two women in the background smiling, and one woman on the right listening with a glass of water nearby.

Professional Development

Impact Report 2024

Find out more about the projects we’ve delivered and the impact we have made in 2024.

Impact Report 2024

Read our archive reports here:

Impact Report 2023

2020-2022 Review

“I found making friends & opening up scary at first but then I tried & found I could do it.”

— Participant

Two people designing a T-shirt with markers at a table, focusing on the fabric.

Meet the Team

Alison Garner

DIRECTOR & FOUNDER
Alison founded Elevator Arts in 2020 to create more space for young people to express themselves, feel heard, and thrive through creativity. Alison has worked in youth arts and theatre since 2007, she’s passionate about making the arts accessible, inclusive and led by young people’s voices.
She leads on project development, fundraising and strategy—helping shape work that is creative, responsive, and makes a real difference.
Michelle Barrington

DIRECTOR & DELIVERY LEAD
Michelle is a theatre maker, director and drama facilitator with a real passion for inclusive, creative spaces. She brings years of experience working with young people and adults with SEND, always making sure everyone feels seen, supported and able to shine.
At Elevator Arts, Michelle leads on project delivery, operations coordination, and facilitation. She also heads up BLAST Youth Theatre—helping young people grow in confidence, creativity and connection.
Eleanore McCann

DIRECTOR & SAFEGUARDING LEAD
Eleanore is an actor, vocalist, producer and director who’s passionate about creating safe, welcoming spaces where everyone can thrive.
At Elevator Arts, she leads on project coordination and oversees compliance across our work. As our Designated Safeguarding Lead, Eleanore is deeply committed to making sure that all participants, staff and creatives feel supported, respected and safe in every project we deliver.
TriggerBliss

ASSOCIATE ARTIST
TriggerBliss collaborates on many Elevator Arts projects as an artist facilitator. TriggerBliss fuses spoken word with other art forms to inspire healing, conscious thought, and authentic expression. TriggerBliss facilitates accessible and inclusive intergenerational creative well-being activities that support the mental and emotional health of the wider community.