Think Art. Think Therapy. Think NINE RED.
At the edge of a high street, in a town that has known both hardship and hope, NINE RED Presents…(CIC) has been quietly weaving colour, story and care into public life.
Born in a place where people of different backgrounds, cultures, religions and nationalities worked together and played together, NINE RED grew from fellowship, creativity and a belief in the restorative power of art.
“At the edge of a high street, by a bridge with a ball, there is a place on earth where numbers fall. Within that space where fate resides, NINE RED Presents came alive.”
— Naz KnightBorn from lived experience, shaped into public purpose
Naz Knight, the CEO of NINE RED Presents…(CIC), started a social enterprise in 2001. Living with social phobia, depression and anxiety resulting from domestic and sexual violence, she could not work outside the house, so she turned to spoken word, dance and digital art as ways of working through what remained.
In time, others began approaching Naz, asking for support in using art to cope and heal. From that meeting point between personal recovery and collective need, NINE RED began to take shape as a wider practice of creativity, restoration and social purpose.
What began in struggle grew into a long-standing body of work rooted in dignity, imagination, survival and transformation.
The mosquito principle
Sometimes, when you feel too small to matter, it helps to remember what it is like to try to sleep in a room with a mosquito.
NINE RED Presents…(CIC) is that mosquito: not allowing change to sleep, not allowing society to fall into inertia. Small in scale perhaps, but persistent in impact; and, like tiny drops of water carving stone, capable of shaping something larger over time.
This is a legacy built not through noise alone, but through endurance, imagination and a refusal to accept stillness where change is needed.
The values at the heart of the work
That each individual in society, irrespective of race, ethnic origin, gender, marital or parental status, sexual orientation, creed, disability, age, religion or political belief has the right to be and to provide inspiration, motivation and achieve emotional, physical, mental and spiritual well being.
Think Art. Think Therapy. Think NINE RED.
Think Art.
Interdisciplinary creativity that permanently or temporarily updates spaces through intriguing, thought-provoking and intricate design, visual storytelling, poetry, sound, installation and performance.
Think Therapy.
Art as Medicine through multi-tiered programmes using arts, performance arts, carnival arts, creative arts therapies, holistic treatments, integrative healing and other approaches that enhance quality of life, health and wellbeing.
Think NINE RED.
A long-established, Queen’s Award-winning community interest company rooted in creativity, care and social impact, changing people, places and spaces through thoughtful, beautifully shaped work.
Why Art Undefined
In the early years of NINE RED, there was continual pressure to define our work narrowly, fit into a box and target a fixed audience.
But the practice was multi-faceted from the beginning, crossing genres, industries and communities in ways that could not be neatly contained. Art Undefined became the only truthful description.
It reflects a way of working that resists labels, challenges preconceptions and encourages audiences to see beyond categories; to see other people’s worlds, and to see individuals as whole beings rather than as labels assigned to them.
Creative experiences that heal, connect and inspire.
Creative practice, healing practice and community action
Through poetry, visual art, sound, movement, installation and public engagement, NINE RED creates work that helps people feel seen, heard and connected. From bespoke commissions to healing-centred workshops and community programmes, the practice brings together beauty, care and cultural depth.
Creative problem solving
Work shaped in response to real community need, rooted in listening, empathy and action, with projects designed to spark thought, build confidence and create meaningful social change through artistic practice.
Innovative project design
Participant-led activity, creative learning and wellbeing-centred delivery sit at the heart of the approach, allowing programmes to feel artistically rich and genuinely supportive.
Changing perceptions
The work is grounded in the belief that everyone deserves dignity, opportunity, creativity and a chance to flourish, giving each project warmth, integrity and lasting relevance.
People, places and spaces
Across programmes, commissions and public work, the aim is not only to transform experiences, but also to reshape the environments in which those experiences unfold.
Where creativity meets healing
The Art as Medicine strand is a multidimensional practice drawing together poetry, creative craft, movement, reflection and expressive arts approaches. It creates experiences that are imaginative, restorative and deeply human, with sessions that can be adapted for wellbeing spaces, cultural settings, community programmes and public events.
Throughout the work, art is presented not as decoration but as a transformative tool. Creative participation can shift mood, outlook and understanding; it can move people from stress toward reflection, from fear toward possibility, and from isolation toward connection.
That philosophy animates the NINE RED approach: exhibitions, performance, workshops, movement, poetry and public installation function not only as cultural output, but as ways of changing how people feel, understand and imagine.
The Whispering Wick
A sensory candle-making experience shaped by light, colour, aroma and intention, designed to encourage release, reflection and creative focus.
The Energy Bar
A create-your-own candle or cosmetic station offering custom blends, reusable containers and a hands-on wellbeing experience.
The Artful Nature
A nature-inspired creative activity using natural materials to support collaboration, imagination and shared making.
Expressive art therapies
A blended approach using poetry, narrative, movement and symbolic process to create spaces for reflection, healing and growth.
Programmes grounded in lived experience
These programmes are shaped for people navigating trauma, exclusion, inequality or complex life experiences. Through creative participation, reflective practice and carefully held spaces, the work supports confidence, voice and connection.
Squash It
Arts in athletics activity supporting resilience, confidence and belonging.
Be Heard!
A strand centred on visibility, support and advocacy.
Women’s Listening Circles
Reflective community spaces rooted in listening, witness and care.
MVAWG & AVS
Long-term survivor-led support shaped from community need.
Medu Neter
A public learning offer exploring ancient writing systems, language heritage and the roots of literary expression.
Healing-centred facilitation
Sessions shaped to support expression, confidence and emotional safety through creative participation and purpose-led activity.
Embracing courage through encounters
One of the stories that continues to inspire this journey begins with a childhood encounter with local football legend Ricky Hill. Encouraged by older cousins to ask for an autograph for one of them, Naz approached him with hesitation, only to be met with warmth, kindness and a lesson that stayed for life.
When the signed card was dismissed by others because it had her own name on it, Ricky Hill gently reframed the moment: it was hers because she had bravely gone to ask for it. That lesson — to walk your own path — became a guiding principle.
It remains a story about courage, initiative, identity and self-belief, and a reminder that the most powerful turning points can begin with one small act of bravery.
From Snapshot to Soul Craft
Another key story begins with a single photograph. Standing beside Kelvin Hopkins MP during a campaign trail unexpectedly opened a path into the arts, leading to a meeting with Andrew Grays of Luton Culture and, from there, a growing body of opportunities.
That encounter became one of those moments when destiny appears not as a finished path, but as a narrow opening that must be recognised and used. Through collaboration, persistence and practice, those moments became stepping stones toward Naz’s wider public role and creative leadership.
It is a story of how words can connect, inspire and transform, not only for the writer, but for the people and communities touched by the work.
A living archive of creativity, care and public memory
NINE RED’s work continues across commissions, workshops, cultural programmes and healing-centred projects, while carrying a wider legacy of art, storytelling, community collaboration and public creativity.
Sew, Sow & So…
A creative invitation into making, sharing and connection.
Be Heard!
A space for voice, visibility and support.
Colours of Morning
A visual expression of atmosphere, memory and feeling.
The Other 33
A storytelling project shaped through culture, folklore and voice.
Public programmes
Creative work designed for communities, audiences and shared spaces.
Commissions and partnerships
Thoughtful collaboration shaped with care, imagination and substance.
How art heals
Throughout the work, art is presented not as decoration but as a transformative tool. Creative participation can shift mood, outlook and understanding; it can move people from stress toward reflection, from fear toward possibility, and from isolation toward connection.
That philosophy animates the NINE RED approach: exhibitions, performance, workshops, movement, poetry and public installation function not only as cultural output, but as ways of changing how people feel, understand and imagine.
It is this combination of artistry and care that gives the organisation its distinctive voice.
Bring the work into new spaces
NINE RED Presents…(CIC) creates public-facing artwork, workshops, exhibitions and thoughtful cultural interventions across communities, schools, organisations and events.
We welcome enquiries from commissioners, partners and communities who would like to explore consultation, collaboration or bespoke creative work.
Visit the wider NINE RED world
Explore the fuller ecosystem of NINE RED Presents…(CIC), including connected platforms, programmes and wider organisational work on the main website.