Art in recovery: from participation to independence
| Date | 16 August 2013 |
| Pages | 140-146 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/MHSI-05-2013-0015 |
| Published date | 16 August 2013 |
| Author | Tracy Aston |
| Subject Matter | Health & social care |
Art in recovery: from participation to
independence
Tracy Aston
Tracy Aston is Creative Arts
Programme Manager with the
Richmond Fellowship,
Liverpool, UK.
Abstract
Purpose – This paper aims to describe a partnership visual arts project between Richmond Fellowship
(a national mental health charity) and the Bluecoat arts centre in Liverpool involving participants with mental
health problems.
Design/methodology/approach – The paper details the development of the project since September
2010 and, most importantly, the artistic development of the individuals who are still taking part and the
improvements in their mental health and wellbeing. It also describes the development of the group in
becoming an independent organisation.
Findings – Evaluation was undertaken at regular intervals through wellbeing questionnaires, one-to-one
interviews and observation, which led to the following findings: with support, individuals with mental health
problems experience significant benefit in engaging with the arts, to their mental health, their personal
development and development as artists. Given time, they require less support and are willing to take on
responsibilities, which has enabled them to become an independent organisation.
Social implications – This paper makes the case for the effectiveness of partnership working between
mental health and arts organisations to improve mental health and social inclusion.
Originality/value – The paper adds to the body of evidence concerning the use of arts in recovery and of
use to mental health organisations who are interested in using the arts in the process of support.
Keywords Arts, Wellbeing, Recovery, Social inclusion, Independence
Paper type Viewpoint
Richmond Fellowship (RF) is a specialist provider of mental health services, and one of the
biggest voluntary sector providers of mental health care in England, working with 9,000 people
each year. We encourage, support and challenge people with mental health problems on
their recovery journey. We manage over 120 services across the country, offering a wide
range of housing, care employment and community support services to enable people to live
life to the full.
Since our 50th anniversary in 2009, we have been further exploring the use of the arts as a
positive creative learning experience to support people’s recovery and as a means to
challenging some of the myths around mental health problems and to increase understanding
around social inclusion.
To this end we established a Creative Arts Programme, now in its third year. It was also
established because of the significant amount of evidence to support the use of arts in recovery,
some of which is contained in the Department of Health and Arts Council England’s Prospectus
for Arts and Health (2007) that highlighted the positive benefits of arts participation for health
and advocated the use of arts in the NHS and in community settings. Our provision of arts
activities enhances existing support and can enable service users to move on from services,
with a renewed sense of identity and confidence, with aspirations and additional skills and with
the ability to fully re-engage with their communities.
PAGE 140
j
MENTAL HEALTH AND SOCIAL INCLUSION
j
VOL. 17 NO. 3 2013, pp. 140-146, CEmerald Group Publishing Limited, ISSN 2042-8308 DOI 10.1108/MHSI-05-2013-0015
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