Meet Frankie - a case study on creativity and mental illness

Meet Frankie, a creative:tandem participant

Artwork from creative tandem at Aquarius Ward, a project for young people living with mental illness

In August 2022, our professional artist Sam Haynes delivered a five-day visual arts residency at Aquarius Ward in South West London, an inpatient service for young people aged 12-18 experiencing a mental health crisis.

The residency was part of creative:tandem, our multi-artform project empowering young people admitted to mental health units due to serious conditions, including psychotic or depressive episodes, anxiety and eating disorders, self-harm or suicidal thinking.

We spoke to Frankie, a young patient who has taken part in multiple Create projects.

“Being creative helps us to do something productive and meaningful.”
Frankie

“I’ve been taking part in a Create visual art project with an artist called Sam Haynes. We’ve done block printing, collage, painting, making masks, a whole range of artistic things. During the project I’ve created four tote bags, all with dinosaur designs because I love dinosaurs. I started making a mask too, and I did some collage on paper with lots of different magazine cuttings.

“At home, I do lots of art. I embroidered a frog on a tote bag at home. It was the first bit of embroidery I did so I was really proud of it because it was actually quite good. I get very bored of things so I switch between so many different hobbies: embroidery, sewing, watercolour, origami. In hospital, though, we don’t have as many chances to be creative.

“I enjoy taking part in the Create workshops because it gives me something to do while in hospital. It takes up some of our time and we get to do something productive and meaningful. It was nicer doing the project in the room downstairs as it gives us a break from the ward. It feels more normal than being on a hospital ward.

“It’s important for people to do creative things in hospital because it gives them something to do other than stare at the TV. It keeps us engaged with something and gives us a product at the end that we can take home once we leave this place. It helps us make some positive memories.”