Arts For Health was awarded a grant from the Vibrant Shropshire Small Grant Scheme to support their Wellbeing Art Group.
The Wellbeing Art Group, organised by Arts for Health (Midlands Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust) provides a safe environment for people in touch with mental health services to come together and make art. The group is led by two professional artists, Jean Mills and Jackie Coyle at English Bridge Workshop in Shrewsbury.
The Vibrant Shropshire grant scheme is funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.
Over the weeks, the art group explore different techniques and artforms, bringing their own imagination into the mix.
With the grant from Vibrant Shropshire they have been able to stage two exhibitions of the group’s work. Often, the participants have very low self-esteem and belief in themselves and the exhibition and launch gives them a sense of pride. They can invite family and friends and show off their work – it restores belief in their own ability.
A young woman’s mental health caused her to be virtually housebound and, when she did venture from home, she would need to be accompanied by her father. When with other people, she would only communicate through her parent who became effectively her full time carer. Her time with the Wellbeing Arts Group started understandably slowly but gradually she became more confident at interacting with other participants and the artists. After six months her self esteem had increased to the point where she could attend workshops by herself and exhibit her work to strangers.
This Vibrant Shropshire grant to the Arts for Health, Wellbeing Arts Group had many layers of beneficiary. The first level was the woman herself who has grown in stature and is becoming a contributor to society whilst her father is also able to take a respite from his caring responsibilities. The grant enabled the Wellbeing Arts Group to continue helping other people; their exhibitions are a showcase of the work of participants and a validation of their personal worth and they also act as a marketing and promotional tool for more grants and investments. Trickling down, the grant helped to support the work of local artists and to help sustain the English Bridge Studio, all of whom do such valuable work whilst trying to remain financially viable.
Project manager, Jess Kent, said “we are grateful to Vibrant Shropshire for the grant which has enabled us to provide an additional artist at the sessions and to offer these exhibitions to the members of the group.”
