I took this image whilst visiting one of our creative arts projects at a hospital in south London. There we work with young people who have a serious mental illness, just one of the many groups of vulnerable children and adults who we work with across the UK.
The day I visited, our professional artist was leading a ceramics workshop with the theme of self-expression. All the young people had self-harming cuts on their wrists, visible signs of an inner pain that they had no other way to express. That’s where Create comes in.
At Snowsfields Adolescent Unit at Maudsley Hospital, our creative:tandem project is designed to relieve stress, allow creative self-expression and give young patients the opportunity to interact socially with one another and the staff who care for them, building a sense of self-worth.
The Voiceless child
The sculpture of the voiceless child, created by one of these young patients, is a powerful reminder of why I started Create and the vital role that the creative arts can play in enhancing wellbeing and giving a voice to those who feel they don’t have one.
I founded the charity 16 years ago at my dining room table with the vision of using the creative arts to help create a fairer, more caring, more inclusive society. Create has since become the UK’s leading charity empowering lives through the creative arts. Our professional artists run around 50 projects a year that empower the most disadvantaged and vulnerable children and adults across the UK.
If you would like to support us directly, or become more involved, please click here.
Nicky Goulder
Founding Chief Executive, Create
