Mental health and Contemporary art

Since 2004, Claire has worked with organisations where the production of art supports participants’ mental health and wellbeing.  Situations include inpatient environments, at support groups and within a prison setting.

Claire’s extensive experience across a range of arts and health settings means that she works hard to safeguard the vulnerable participants, taking an ethical approach to her work and selecting a pace of work that helps improve self-esteem and provides a creative challenge.  Partnership working with clinical professionals and support group specialists forms an important part of the work to enable the right level of activity to be developed and to enable longer-term support for clients to exist.

  • Symbolic charms hang from a safety pin

Previous projects have worked with clients including:
People shielding through Covid-19
Refugee Women Connect
HMP Wymott
Royal Preston Hospital CAMHS inpatient ward
The Foxton Centre, Preston
Time for Me, Perinatal Mental Health support programme

As Time for Me Arts Co-ordinator, Claire worked for a period of 8 years using the arts to support Perinatal Mental Health for mothers experiencing Post-natal depression and anxiety.  The production of visual and written artworks through these 10-week programmes helped women to feel less isolated, more supported, more able to cope, and improved their mood and self-esteem. The negative impacts of perinatal anxiety and depression were reducing after attending the group.

Claire has undertaken Trauma Awareness Training, Neurodiversity Training, Mental Health First Aid Training, regularly attends Safeguarding Refresher training and holds an Enhanced DBS Update Certificate.

If you’d like to discuss a project working in your setting, please get in touch here