Participant Group: Other marginalised children and adults

Supporting migrant and refugee children and young people together through creativity 

Posted on February 10, 2026 by - Stories, Blogs

Supporting migrant and refugee children and young people together through creativity 

community:matters is Create’s multi-artform project empowering marginalised young people in the London Borough of Brent. Launched in 2019, the programme is a partnership with three services that support: young people with learning disabilities (Brent Mencap); young migrants and refugees (Salusbury World); and young carers (Brent Gateway Partnership). Between 2016 and 2024, children made up 38% of people coming to the UK on asylum, resettlement, and family reunion routes. In 2025, 3,861 asylum applications were received from unaccompanied children. 

Migrant and refugee children in the UK often face severe and compounded challenges, including wrongful detainment, unsuitable accommodation, and extreme mental health distress. They face several barriers including accessing education, navigating language, poverty and long waits for asylum decisions.

Our community:matters programme offer a safe space where these children can relax, explore their creativity and just be children. 

We spoke with a staff member from Salusbury World, and two young people, who told us about their time on a Create project.  

the reality for migrant and refugee children 

In April 2025, Create artist Alisa Ruzavina led jewellery making workshops. The children experimented with beads and weaving, making charms for their bags. Dan, a staff member at Salusbury World spoke about the reality of life for the children they work with:  

“All the participants are on free school meals, which is an indicator of relative poverty, so they’re all children who would not necessarily have access to creative workshops without [the Create projects]. It’s so good for the children to be able to access these activities.” 

ESCAPING THROUGH making  

For many people, especially children, creativity can be an escape from daily stresses. In July 2025, Mikayla and Elijah took part in a ceramics workshop led by Create artist Emily Stapleton-Jefferis.  

Elijah shared with us the importance of creative opportunities like these: 

“Normally I just lay down on my bed and watch TV. But here, we learned how to make slabs and do coiling.” 

It was good to be collaborative and work together as a team.

ELIJAH, COMMUNITY:MATTERS PARTICIPANT

Staff member Dan also noted how engaged the children were during their jewellery making workshops: 

“The activity was new to all of them, and they all really focused on it very intently. They produced a lot of stuff in a very short space of time, so I think it activated latent creativity, which is great. They really liked being able to introduce something of their own into the creative process.” 

Brightening your days with Creativity 

Creativity has the incredible power to uplift your mood, something that Elijah experienced during the project. He shared with us the positive impact creativity had on his life and overall wellbeing:

“Creativity is important because if you just do the same thing every day, then it gets boring and you’re not doing anything fun! There’s not a lot of creative things happening, so this made me very happy.” 

Mikayla echoed this sentiment, highlighting the importance of being able to create in a relaxed environment: 

“I have done creative things, but this is different because it’s more fun and not strict. You can use your own imagination.” 

As a staff member at Salusbury World, Dan has been able to see the positive impact of the Create projects across a number of years: 

“These projects are always rewarding and productive, and the children are acquiring skills. We’ve been doing Create workshops for at least seven years; they always get good sign-up and retention!”

building community by creating together 

Making art in a group setting is a powerful way to break down barriers and form connections and friendships with others. Staff member Dan experienced this first hand: 

Some of them who didn’t know each other have formed beautiful friendships over the course of the workshops.

dan, staff member at salusbury world

At Create, we see the impact of creativity on people’s lives every day. People often arrive at our projects on their own and leave with new friendships, having found common ground with others – whether as carers, young people facing similar challenges, or older adults who understand the isolation that can come in later life. Through shared creative experiences, projects become open spaces for connection, dialogue and lived experience. Participants leave not only with something they’ve made, but with a renewed sense of confidence, belonging and hope.

Thank you to John Lyon’s Charity for funding community:matters. 

*Names changed to protect anonymity 

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AN INTERVIEW WITH FUNDER JOHN LYON’S CHARITY

Posted on October 16, 2025 by - Stories, Blogs

AN INTERVIEW WITH FUNDER JOHN LYON’S CHARITY

changing:minds 2025 showcase, visited by funder John Lyon's Charity

“We knew the projects would work because they’re being delivered by a trusted organisation.”

John Lyon’s Charity (JLC) is a grantmaker transforming the lives of children and young people by creating opportunities to learn, grow and thrive through education. Since 2013, Create has been proud to partner with JLC to deliver high-quality creative projects across London.

Through this long-standing collaboration, we have launched major programmes such as changing:minds, community:matters and inspired:arts, reaching disabled young people, young carers, care leavers and refugees in JLC’s priority boroughs. We spoke to Anna Hoddinott, Senior Grants and Communications Manager at John Lyon’s Charity, about the impact of our partnership – and why creativity matters more than ever.

SHARED VALUES, CREATIVE VISION

“There’s a lot of synergy between JLC’s values and those of Create. Create strives to evolve constantly, develop and hone its offerings. We see the value in Create’s approach and methodology: projects cross a multitude of different artforms and can be adapted to various audiences with various needs.

“Create has a passion for interrogating its work and striving to be the best that it can be, combining diverse artforms, passion, drive, high-quality practitioners and rigorous evaluation all in one place. If a funder wants to fund really high-quality projects, then Create gives a lot of options.”

building new programmes with trust at the core

Create’s long relationship with JLC has led to the co-design of key programmes including changing:minds, which embeds creativity and financial literacy, and community:matters, which brings creative workshops to young people in vulnerable circumstances. For JLC, that level of collaboration is based on deep trust.

“We have known Create for a considerable amount of time, which has enabled us as funders to believe in its ability to have the right impact and outcomes.

Create’s openness and flexibility to develop programmes targeting priority groups and locations for JLC made the charity an ideal partner.

Anna Hoddinott, Senior Grants and Communications Manager at John Lyon’s Charity

“This flexibility put Create in a really strong position to secure funding for new projects: we knew the projects would work because they’re being delivered by a trusted organisation.”

CREATING LONG-TERM IMPACT FOR CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE

At the heart of this partnership is a shared belief that creativity should be participant-led, empowering children and young people to shape their own experiences. As Anna explains:

“The positive impact starts from the beginning. Participants can choose the artform that most resonates with them, giving them agency over their experience. This element of co-creation is really empowering and gives a greater impact because participants know that they are taking part in something that they have chosen to do.

“It’s really important that the participants are not delivered to, but delivered with. That really comes across with the work that Create does; participants are encouraged to find their own way through projects, while being supported to engage as much as they are able.

“The projects I have visited are always really engaging for the participants. All of the young people seem to be really enthusiastic.

“On the whole, the impact on participants is huge. And not just in the moment, but also long after the end of the project, instilling confidence, a sense of wellbeing and all the positivity that engaging in arts projects can bring.”

Why CREATIVITY MATTERS

Like Create, JLC recognises that creativity plays a fundamental role in education, emotional health and society at large – especially at a time when access to the arts is under threat.

“Creativity is fundamentally important for everybody. I think it’s important that creative arts are included in school curriculums, but they are so often overlooked in favour of more academic subjects.

“Having access to creativity and cultural capital can boost everybody’s mental wellbeing, helping people thrive emotionally, professionally, and in relationships.

Creativity gives a mirror to see yourself reflected and a window to view the world through different perspectives.

Anna Hoddinott, Senior Grants and Communications Manager at John Lyon’s Charity

“Being able to access creativity leads to a really well-rounded society with really healthy and grounded people within it.”

A MESSAGE TO FUTURE FUNDERS

When asked what she would say to other funders considering supporting Create, Anna’s answer was simple:

“Do it! It’s difficult to find organisations that deliver such a range of activities, specialising in working with so many different participant groups, with such quality.

“Create gives funders the confidence that their support will be used thoughtfully, rigorously and with great impact. You’d be supporting work that truly changes lives.”

A huge thank you to John Lyon’s Charity for funding changing:minds, community:matters and inspired:arts.

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MEET HARINI, A COMMUNITY:MATTERS PARTICIPANT

Posted on January 30, 2024 by - Stories, Blogs

MEET HARINI, A COMMUNITY:MATTERS PARTICIPANT

community:matters is our multi-arts programme empowering marginalised young people in the London Borough of Brent. Launched in 2019, this programme is a partnership with three services that support: young people with learning disabilities (Brent Mencap); young migrants and refugees (Salusbury World); and young carers (Brent Gateway Partnership).

We spoke to Harini (aged 13), who attends Salusbury World, about her experience on our animation project.

“We’ve been making a short film. I’ve learnt the different ways to record and what the points are of the films. I’ve also learnt how to make the films simple and short whilst also having a deep meaning.”

Harini’s involvement in this project became an avenue for both creative expression and personal growth. Her journey within the project led her to craft a film titled ‘Accident,’ delving into a compelling narrative about overcoming challenges. “It’s about a girl whose mum was in a car crash and developed depression. So, she went to the doctor with her sister and was prescribed medicine that helped her get better as time passed. Once the mum was better, the girl was able to go back to school and felt strong.”

Settling into life in England presented its initial challenges for Harini, who admitted that it wasn’t a seamless transition. “I didn’t really feel comfortable in England at first. I’m not sure if I’m speaking the language as well as others or if my accent is good.”

Despite these feelings, Harini discovered a source of comfort and connection through the projects. While she found certain aspects challenging, such as the speaking parts, she enjoyed the collaborative experience with Linda, the Create filmmaker.

“I enjoyed working with Linda. She’s nice and has a passion for teaching kids how to make films and she has a very nice teaching technique.”

Harini’s focus is on becoming a doctor or scientist, but she recognised the importance of engaging in creative activities. “It felt very good to do something creative because you learn something new and can use this new skill for a competition or school.”

Harini cherishes the sense of belonging that comes from taking part in projects. “I’ve done projects with Salusbury World before, and we’ve been on many trips. I love being a part of Salusbury World. I would take part in a project like this again; it’s a good opportunity.”

community:matters is supported by John Lyon’s Charity.

john lyons logo

ART IS FREEDOM: ARTWORK BY SURVIVORS OF MODERN SLAVERY FEATURED UP IN LIGHTS

Posted on November 29, 2023 by - News

Art Is Freedom 2

ART IS FREEDOM: ARTWORK BY SURVIVORS OF MODERN SLAVERY FEATURED UP IN LIGHTS

In May and June 2023, Create partnered with Ashurst and Hestia to develop and deliver a series of visual art workshops as part of Hestia’s Art Is Freedom project. This empowered 17 survivors of modern slavery through the creation of stunning paintings. Hestia is a charity that provides adults and children across London with a life beyond crisis.

Art Is Freedom artwork at private view

It’s a good feeling thinking about my next chapter. It’s a nice thing to put into our paintings.

participant

WHAT IS MODERN SLAVERY?

Anti-Slavery International defines modern slavery as “when an individual is exploited by others, for personal or commercial gain. Whether tricked, coerced, or forced, they lose their freedom”.

In 2022, the National Referral Mechanism (NRM) received 16,938 referrals of potential victims of modern slavery. Survivors may suffer from mental health conditions, physical injury and other medical conditions. They are often “dangerously isolated and marginalised. Fear, emotional withdrawal and multiple barriers can stand in the way of survivors trying new experiences, developing vital life skills, enjoying practical and creative interests, and forming positive relationships”. (Helen Bamber Foundation, 2021)

I am more confident and feel proud that I can call myself an artist!

participant

the project

At the invitation of our corporate partner, multinational law firm Ashurst LLP, we collaborated with Hestia to develop and deliver creative arts workshops to connect survivors, supporting them to build new skills and relationships, using creativity as a tool for self-expression.

Under the guidance of our professional artist Rachel McGivern, the participants worked together to create original paintings and drawings. During six workshops, they created collages and paintings exploring the theme “My Next Chapter”. They started by mind mapping and creating collages to explore what this theme meant to them, and experimented with colour and shape to depict their emotions. They used acrylics to paint birds and self-portraits. The diverse artwork took inspiration from a wide range of sources including nature, public transport, homelessness, faith, family, and beloved pets. The project was supported by two volunteers from Ashurst, which funded and hosted the project at its office, and provided lunch and refreshments. The volunteers took part in workshop activities and provided support and encouragement to the participants.

My mood feels better. It feels like I have finally discovered a new thing to feel relaxed.

participant

At the end of the project, each participant selected one favourite piece of artwork to include in a very special exhibition. The exhibition, entitled Art Is Freedom, took place from 14 to 20 October 2023 to coincide with Anti-Slavery Day on 18 October. Participant artwork was displayed on the Piccadilly Lights screens, in Trafalgar Square and in major train stations across London including London Bridge, Paddington, South Kensington and Waterloo. Hestia’s high-profile exhibition raised awareness around modern slavery while uplifting and connecting survivors and raising their aspirations.

Art Is Freedom was developed in partnership with Hestia and Ashurst LLP, and funded by Ashurst.  

GIVING A VOICE TO YOUNG REFUGEES IN BRENT

Posted on April 29, 2022 by - Blogs, Stories

young refugee participants on community matters in Brent
participants on community matters in Brent

GIVING A VOICE TO YOUNG REFUGEES IN BRENT

“ARTS PROJECTS GIVE YOUNG REFUGEES AND MIGRANTS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO EXPRESS THEMSELVES.”

LUCY ELGOOD, PROJECT MANAGER AT SALUSBURY WORLD

In 2020, more than 2,000 young people claimed asylum in the UK after leaving their countries of origin. In March 2022, following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine the previous month, fifty-five children became refugees every minute, amounting to 75,000 refugees a day.

Experiencing displacement is distressing and isolating. In particular, The Council of Europe states that young refugees are among the most vulnerable because “they may have had experiences involving violence, exploitation and trauma, and the risk of violation of their human rights and fundamental freedoms continues”.

our work with salusbury world

In July 2019, thanks to grant funding from John Lyon’s Charity, we launched community:matters, our project in partnership with three Brent-based services that support migrants, refugees and young carers. One of these services is Salusbury World, a Brent-based charity that provides support and services to refugee and migrant children, young people and families.

Lucy Elgood, the charity’s Project Manager, told us: “The children and teenagers we support are refugees and migrants from all over the world who are starting to find their feet in new communities in London. We want them to feel confident and hopeful for their futures. Arts projects give them a great opportunity to express themselves in new ways, and boost self-esteem and social skills.”  

Having worked with young people for more than 19 years, we have seen first-hand the incredible impact that creativity can have on people from all walks of life. Uprooting your life and everything you have ever known to move to a new, unfamiliar place is unimaginably frightening for young people coming from war-torn countries. community:matters uses the creative arts to provide young people in Brent with a voice and a vital means of self-expression.

The project also helps to enhance confidence and self-esteem by enabling them to explore their creativity in high-quality creative workshops delivered by our highly-skilled professional artists. Whilst taking part in our projects, participants work together, helping them to make new friends with other young people who have shared similar experiences, build important bonds and reduce their feelings of isolation during exceptionally difficult, often traumatic, times.

getting creative with afra

Looking back at her initial thoughts on arriving in the UK, young migrant and community:matters participant Afra said: “I wasn’t comfortable and I didn’t like being in England. I’m not sure if I’m speaking English very well. I got bullied at school. They just want to make you feel bad so you’ll leave.”

“IT FEELS NICE TO DO SOMETHING CREATIVE BECAUSE YOU LEARN SOMETHING NEW.”

AFRA, COMMUNITY:MATTERS PARTICIPANT

Afra took part in our community:matters filmmaking project during February 2022, led by our professional filmmaker. After spending a few days on the project with other young people, Afra said: “On the first day I was a bit uncomfortable because they are new and they are not my friends, but then I became so much more comfortable day after day.

“It feels nice to do something creative because you learn something new. Linda, the professional filmmaker, was really nice and felt passionately about filmmaking. She had a very nice teaching technique.”

Lucy highlighted another of Salusbury World’s young people, a 15-year-old Syrian refugee, who also took part. “He’d been diffident when invited and said it really wasn’t for him, but came along to days two and three after his friends told him how great the first day was. He was very focused throughout and the following week sent my colleague a WhatsApp message asking for the name of the editing app we’d been using because he was now making films for himself. It was really great to see someone wanting to carry on developing the skills they’d learnt in a workshop.”

WATCH THE FILMS

The films created by young refugees and migrants on our community:matters project focused on topics affecting young people today, including mental health awareness. You can watch some of the films below, and you can learn more about community:matters here.

“Reflection”

ROADMEN

More about community:matters

community:matters is supported by John Lyon’s Charity.

john lyons logo

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Speak With My Voice exhibition showcases artwork by marginalised adults in Deptford

Posted on November 1, 2021 by - Blogs, News

Speak With My Voice 2020 gallery
Speak With My Voice 2020 gallery

Our 12-week Speak With My Voice project in London is being celebrated with a captivating exhibition of work produced by participants.

The exhibition, which shows photography and writing created by vulnerable adults in Lewisham, is on display at Deptford Lounge from 16 December until the New Year – and the public can see the work for free.

All the artwork has been produced by members of Deptford Reach, a day centre serving local people who are vulnerable through homelessness, mental ill-health, loneliness, social exclusion and severe poverty.

Speak With My Voice 2020
A Speak With My Voice participant, lining up his shot

“It helps me with my mind”

During the project, which was funded by Deptford Challenge Trust, the participants were guided by two of our professional artists – photographer Alicia Clarke and writer James Baldwin. Together they explored a variety of photographic techniques (including reportage and still-life) and writing styles (including monologues and short stories), enabling them to express themselves and find their voice.

“I’ve enjoyed every minute of the workshops,” said one of the participants. “I like to do different things with my mind, like using the camera, writing and all that. I enjoy coming here to do it because it gives me something to do instead of sitting down indoors all day doing nothing. It helps me with my mind doing different things.”

Speak With My Voice 2020 gallery
The Speak With My Voice exhibition at Deptford Lounge

Taking Part in creative projects is incredibly beneficial

We have run our Speak With My Voice project in partnership with Deptford Reach since Create was founded in 2003.

“This important project gives vulnerable adults the opportunity to work creatively with our professional artists and one another,” explained our Founding Chief Executive, Nicky Goulder. “They use photography and creative writing to break down barriers, build relationships and trust, reduce isolation, enhance self-confidence and self-esteem, and have fun. Never has this work been more important, at a time when everyone has experienced increased isolation, and it has been a privilege to enable these participants to express themselves and enhance their wellbeing over the past few months. I hope everyone enjoys the exhibition, which demonstrates their talent so powerfully.”

Jordan McTigue, Lead Manager at Deptford Reach, said: “This year has seen our work at Deptford Reach look quite different. While we usually operate as a day centre, we are now providing a floating support service to ensure vulnerable people in the community are not further isolated by the pandemic. Taking part in creative projects is something we know is incredibly beneficial, and well received, towards mental wellbeing, and we’re really pleased that this exhibition with Create is taking place at the heart of the community.”

Speak With My Voice 2020
Speak With My Voice participants developing their photography skills

“We had so much fun!”

Create photographer Alicia Clarke said: “It has been my pleasure to facilitate photography workshops with attendees of Deptford Reach. Taking inspiration from some famous photographers’ work, and discussing the meaning behind images, were key parts of our workshops, and it was so inspiring to see the world interpreted through the eyes of the participants. There were lots of diverse interests within the group and I feel that everyone found ways to express themselves, and to enjoy the work of their peers. We had so much fun!”

Create writer James Baldwin said: “The group chose to focus on screenwriting and adaptation, speech writing and rhetoric, monologues for theatre, poetry and song, and short stories. Across this display you’ll find the pieces of work that each writer feels represents their voice best. Like a photograph captures a single moment in time, the writer’s writing captures them on that day, in that mood, with those thoughts. A literary snapshot documenting unusual times.”

Scroll down to see more examples of the participants’ work.

To support Create today, giving us the chance to deliver more projects like Speak With My Voice, please click this button: 

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Meet Colin, six months on

Posted on October 28, 2021 by - Stories

One of Colin's photographs
Meet colin

MEET COLIN, SIX MONTHS ON

Can photography improve mental health? In February 2020 we interviewed Colin about how working with Create has unlocked a passion for photography and positively impacted his mental health.

Before the pandemic, Colin was attending a Create photography project developed in collaboration with Mind in Tower Hamlets and Newham and funded by Reed Smith. Since the lockdown, Colin has participated in our Create Live! online interactive project initiative, offering a creative lifeline to the most vulnerable children and adults in isolation.

Six months on, we’ve caught up with Colin about how photography helped him cope during the lockdown and how he’s been using the skills he developed with Create to help others.

“When the lockdown started, I was really bored. It forced me to be creative indoors and look for stuff around the house to take pictures of.”

Colin

“Lockdown has forced me to be creative at home and to come up with new ideas and think of things to do. I’ve got asthma so I’ve got to be really careful about this virus. 

“If I’ve got to go out, I wear my mask and I can breathe for about 20 minutes in it. I go to my local shop and just come straight back. I do miss going out, to places just for myself like the comic shops in the West End, but that’s not an option at the minute. Photography and running workshops is giving me something to do at home.

“When the lockdown started, I was really bored. I couldn’t find anything to do and I was desperate to do something. It forced me to be creative indoors and look for stuff around the house to take pictures of. We’ve got some lights for the patio and I did a lot of light-painting photographs. 

“After the Create Live! photography project ended, someone from Mind phoned me and asked me if I wanted to run some workshops of my own. They said someone had recommended me. 

“I was hesitant at first because I get nervous when people want sudden things to happen. I spent some time thinking about it and I managed to think up three ideas for sessions the next day, so I thought ‘I’ll do it’.  

“One or two of the participants were from the Create groups but a few are from other groups that just know me, and they wanted to give photography a try. 

“A couple of the participants have never tried photography before. They don’t go out that much. We had a woman who was really nervous, and she didn’t know how to do WeTransfer [a way of sharing photographs via a digital link]. I want to be as accommodating as possible so I encouraged her just to hold her phone close to the screen so that everyone could see her photography and she could participate. I try to make it as easy for everyone as possible. 

“Photography gives me an outlet to express myself, which I’ve found useful during lockdown. I enjoy running a photography group. It feels rewarding to be helping other people like myself by giving them something they can participate in and hopefully have fun.”

Follow Colin on Twitter and Instagram to see more of his photography.

Follow Create on Twitter and Instagram to see more creative work from our projects. 

Meet Colin: can photography improve mental health?

Posted on October 26, 2021 by - Stories

One of Colin's photographs
One of Colin's photographs

MEET COLIN: CAN PHOTOGRAPHY IMPROVE MENTAL HEALTH?

Can photography improve mental health? Most of us have heard the old adage “a picture is worth a thousand words” and increasingly research suggests that photography can improve mental wellbeing.

Our creative:discovery project was developed in collaboration with Mind in Tower Hamlets and Newham and is funded by Reed Smith. Over one block of six weeks, participants explored different photographic styles with our professional photographer Alicia Clarke. Colin told us his story.

One of Colin's photographs

“Taking part in Create’s photography workshops has had a big impact on my life. Mind in Tower Hamlets and Newham is a really important place for me. It helps me a lot. I started coming when my doctor recommended it. I suffer with anxiety and depression and I get flashbacks, like a bit of PTSD, I wasn’t in the army or anything but I had some bad experiences.

“I didn’t really get a lot of interaction before I started coming to MIND and I didn’t really have friends I could talk to. I was a bit of a loner and depressed for a long time. At first, I joined the walking group and after a while I really started to enjoy it. I liked getting out to new places and having people to talk to. When I first heard about the Create photography programme I just ran and asked if I could give it a try. I did actually have a panic attack in the first-ever [workshop]: we had to pick stuff off the ground because we were doing sun prints and I’m a bit germaphobic. Thankfully, one of the Create volunteers helped me out and let me direct them so I managed to get some really good prints that day and I did really enjoy it.

“Photography has helped me to break out of myself and stop being stuck in my room in front of a screen with depression all the time.”

Colin

“I like photography, it gets me away from the usual thing like being at home, TV and games. It’s nice just to get out and do something creative. It has given me a bit of a purpose really. I decided to save up and buy my own camera after the first photography project that I did with Create. I wanted to keep taking photos before the next project. I’ve always liked the idea of the old Polaroids and I thought I would get an Instax camera because they are really reliable. I go out on a Wednesday or Sunday with my mum because I’ve got a bit of anxiety issues. When I’m out I like taking close-ups of flowers and animals. It’s like an escape. Photography has helped me to break out of myself and stop being stuck in my room in front of a screen with depression all the time. It has given me a purpose to get away from it and to start doing something creative for me.

One of Colin's photographs

“In September, after the first Create photography project, I got an email from someone at the Lansbury Micro Museum. It’s an exhibition space in Poplar that the V&A organises. They wanted people’s collections for an exhibition so I handed in a couple of Instax photos on the off chance when they were opening. Then they asked for me to send them a few more because they wanted them in the museum!

“I got to choose how to have the photos up and someone at the museum wrote a piece about them and me (Colin from Poplar). They were there for about a month. It was my first year actually taking photos so it was a bit of a shock. I was also given some complimentary tickets to go and see the Tim Walker exhibition at the actual V&A, which I really enjoyed.

“There was a closing event party and they opened the museum one last time. People were coming up to me and stopping me and complimenting me on my photos and that was quite nice. They liked my photos, they made a big fuss about my rainbow photo. Someone did say to me that if I ever saw them in the market they would like to see more of my photos.

“I’m really glad that Create is running another series of photography workshops at MIND. We did sun prints again last week and actually I wasn’t too bad in terms of anxiety. I’m out every week with my mum, taking photos in my own time. I’m looking forward to trying some more prism photography, I’m going to try using squares and diamond shapes and maybe using magnifying glasses for different effects.

“Photography gets me out and creativity gives me a purpose. I enjoy doing something creative for myself.”

Follow Colin on Twitter and Instagram to see more of his photography.

Follow Create on Twitter and Instagram to see more creative work from our projects. 

Mental health and creativity: Dr Richard Corrigall’s perspective

Posted on October 21, 2021 by - Blogs, News

mental health and creativity - an image from our creative tandem project
mental health and creativity - an image from our creative tandem project

MENTAL HEALTH AND CREATIVITY: DR RICHARD CORRIGALL’S PERSPECTIVE

Dr Richard Corrigall, a consultant adolescent psychiatrist at Snowsfields, believes that creativity can have tangible benefits on mental health.

“Mental health problems is thinking about yourself as being difficult or troublesome. To recover is therefore to restore yourself, and helping someone do that can feel enormously satisfying as a doctor, particularly when working with teenagers: they’re at the beginning of their lives and are beginning to become independent, new people.”

mental health and creativity - an image from our creative tandem project
A painting made by a participant on our creative:tandem project

With self-esteem in mind, Create devised the creative:tandem project for patients at Snowsfields Adolescent Unit at Maudsley Hospital in South London. The institution is an open unit offering mental health care for adolescents with a serious mental illness who require hospital admission. Run by Create’s professional artists, creative:tandem is a multi-art form project, which focuses on building confidence.

“Our patients at Snowsfields are people for whom outpatient care is not safe or sustainable. Mostly it’s crisis admissions; a big chunk tends to be self-harming of a serious nature, suicide-related. Typically patients come in with emotionally unstable personality disorder, as in difficult mood changes and complicated social pressures. Those with psychosis and psychotic-related illnesses are another big group.

“With any mental health care, the key elements are biological, psychological and social. They’re all extremely important, it’s not that there’s just one area you need to be focusing on. Variety is what I’ve always been keen on. It’s very important to have the medical stuff and the diagnosis and prescribing, but that should fit into the broader objective of helping people to restore their lives in a rich way. It’s not just saying “These symptoms have gone away” – they’ve restored their real lives.

“Imagine you’ve got a mental illness, you’ve been in hospital – you can be very self-destructive or self-critical. So we try to restore some kind of faith and self-esteem, and I think creative things can be really good at that.”

Dr Richard Corrigall
richard corrigall mental health and creativity
A sculpture made by a creative:tandem participant at Snowsfields

“Sometimes we have to make strong recommendations about medications which some patients can be quite resistant to. But I think having that dialogue can be more positive if you’ve given a young person the opportunity to express their feelings in different ways. You’ve demonstrated that you have real respect for them as a complicated individual, rather than just being a doctor saying: “You’ve got to do this”.

“Over the years, I’ve been prone to depressive episodes myself. In 2013 it got really severe, to the point of breakdown. When I recovered and felt optimism and interest again, after going through loads of time being negative and self-critical, I went to an art talk. One artist who was talked about was a person who’d been a mental health service user herself, and when I saw some of her art I was hugely inspired. It was related to her mental health crisis and stuff she’d been through. I really related to her art; I could understand what it meant. And then that gave me the idea of suddenly playing around with art.

“Since then I’ve been more and more interested in art. It does feel a very reassuring, healthy thing. Even the difficult things I’d been through became part of what helped with the creative expression. Which is another fascinating thing: mental health can obviously be unpleasant and disturbing, but it can also be enriching. When you see other people’s work, sometimes the things they’re able to communicate can be astonishing.

“Art can be drawing contradictory things together, which you could say is what consciousness is like. The world around us is incredibly complicated. All of our thinking is a bit of an oversimplification because it has to be. Sometimes creative things get to the depth and can connect with something that seems quite profound. Having said that, people can also use it in a very trivial way. It’s not right or wrong, it doesn’t have to have profound meaning necessarily. Sometimes it can be just doodling, it can just be relaxing. It inspires social functioning, how to get on with and relate to other people, problem solving.

“One young patient here had anorexia. She was clearly very talented at art and liked doing it, but she was very critical of her drawing and wanted it to be perfect. That illustrated the perfectionism that can relate to anorexia. We talked about how perfectionism can affect people and her trying a different approach, so she tried an impulsive, slightly random style of making art. That wasn’t her typical style, but it related in a metaphorical way to some of her psychological issues. She began using her detailed skills creatively but not getting overwhelmed by it, just in a nice straightforward way, and she was really quite thrilled by it. She actually went on to get a degree in art.”

To learn more about the work of Snowfields Adolescent Unit, read this blog or visit their website.

richard corrigall mental health and creativity

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How can the creative arts help with homelessness and mental ill-health?

Posted on October 21, 2021 by - Stories, Blogs

speak with my voice
speak with my voice

HOMELESSNESS AND MENTAL ILL-HEALTH: HOW CAN THE CREATIVE ARTS HELP?

How can creativity have a significant positive impact on people dealing with homelessness and mental ill-health? How can it be used to empower lives?

World Homeless Day and World Mental Health Day fall on the same date – a coincidental but natural pairing. Mental ill-health is prevalent amongst homeless people, with St Mungo’s’ 2016 Stop the Scandal: An Investigation into Mental Health and Rough Sleeping report finding that four in 10 rough sleepers in England need mental health support.

speak with my voice
Speak With My Voice participants

At Create we use creativity and the arts to empower disadvantaged and vulnerable people. With support from Pret a Manger we run two programmes with homeless and formerly-homeless people, a key aim of which is to improve participants’ mental health and self-esteem. Speaking to participants from the two programmes demonstrates the link between mental ill health and homelessness and how creativity can help support people through both.

Deptford Reach is a drop in centre in South East London, attended by 70 – 100 people every day. The clients face many different challenges including homelessness, poverty, mental ill health and social isolation or exclusion. Create has been running its Speak With My Voice arts project there since 2003.

Through Speak With My Voice Deptford Reach clients explore music, photography and poetry under the guidance of Create’s professional artists. The programme is designed to boost confidence, self-esteem, relationship-building and wellbeing.

Meet Chris

“When you’re being creative you’re involved in life. You aren’t just a spectator, you aren’t just a number or a victim.”

Chris, Speak With My Voice participant

Chris (not his real name), aged 43, has been a client at Deptford Reach since 2012:

“I first came across Deptford Reach when I had completed a prison sentence. After the security and cosiness of jail, the open market of society can be ruthless and unforgiving. Places like Deptford Reach help individuals restructure their lives and minds. Create’s programmes are pivotal in this restructuring.

“When you’re being creative you’re involved in life. You aren’t just a spectator, you aren’t just a number or a victim. It takes away the rough edges of life, makes everything less exacting and gives you more room to travel in your mind.

speak with my voice

“Expressing yourself through creativity is cathartic. The dark parts of you have a chance to be explored. The irony is that when you’re depressed it’s the time you least want to be creative, all you want to do is curl up in bed and do nothing. But a little encouragement always helps and that’s where Create comes in.

“Being encouraged to be creative has spurred on my initiative – I now run yoga classes and help manage the IT Room at Deptford Reach. I’m able to do that because of the confidence that the projects have given me. I’m more willing to volunteer, to put my two pence in, to give my ideas and jump into the mix. I keep telling myself I’ll perform at an open mic poetry night – I haven’t done it yet but I know my confidence is building – when I do it’ll be a massive achievement. I won’t be in the audience anymore; I’ll be part of the show.”

Meet Paul

“There’s a self-belief thing that comes from being creative.”

Paul, Food For Thought participant

Food for Thought is Create’s multi-artform programme with Pret’s Rising Stars programme, which helps people who have lived on the streets or have a criminal record to rebuild their confidence and get back into work. Paul (not his real name) is 22 and took part in a Food for Thought visual art project. He said creating collaboratively allowed the group to build self-esteem, communication skills and creativity:

“Art is something I wouldn’t have picked up had I not been given the direct opportunity. I’ve learned I can find new things that I enjoy and are interesting. There’s a self-belief thing that comes from being creative. When you’re sitting there and haven’t tried something before but they show you how to do it, then you do it yourself, and you make something, and it turns out pretty good.

“Before I was homeless I was living with my family but I wasn’t really doing much with my life. I was spending my whole life inside, taking drugs, making a little bit of money from working in computing. It wasn’t really an existence. I was depressed. My family weren’t happy with what I was doing so I had to leave and was homeless. I didn’t have any support, no money, no bank account.

“It’s so easy to say ‘no’ and that was a problem with me – I was saying ‘no’ too much and not getting out and doing anything. But now I’m coming to do these things, having a lot of fun, building relationships with people, it’s pretty huge. I try and say ‘yes’ to everything now because I’ve learned it will help me develop as a person and I missed out on a lot of development before. Now I’m 22, able to support myself and pay my rent and my bills.”

Both homelessness and mental ill health are increasing in the UK, and we must utilise all the tools available to support people in those circumstances. Chris and Paul’s stories show just what a positive impact creativity can make in the lives of people who are disadvantaged and vulnerable.

Read more about our projects here.

This article is from 2019.

speak with my voice

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