Connect & Create: Show & Tell Special
This summer we’re running a special edition of Connect & Create. We’d like as many Arts & Minds members to bring their artwork to show to other people and tell them about it! You could bring:
– paintings
– photos
– poetry
– songs
– writing
– sculpture
If you want to bring photographs of your work, that’s fine. The idea is for as many people as possible to share their work and have a chat about it. If you’ve written a song you could play it to a group of us. If a poem, read it out.
Lots of creative people make stuff and we think it’s good to meet people with a similar mindset. It can help boost your confidence and you might learn about what other people are doing – and get inspired.
Connect & Create runs monthly at The Tetley and is for Arts & Minds members. Arts & Minds exists to support creative people with mental health issues. If you’re not a member, don’t worry, we’ll give you information about the network when you get here. The meeting is free to attend and we provide tea, coffee and cake.
We normally meet on the first Monday of every month – note that this has changed to the second Monday because of holidays. We meet in the learning studio on Floor 2.
Connect & Create: Show & Tell Special
Monday 12th August, 2pm – 4pm
The Tetley, Hunslet Rd, Leeds.
Annual Exhibition – Thank You
Our Annual Exhibition is now over – thanks so much to all our artists, helpers, volunteers, supporters, invigilators, curators – and anyone who came in. Particular thanks to Naheed, Mussarat, Sandy, Emma and the Culture Club team who led some brilliant workshops. This year more than ever it’s been a team effort. So many people helped to put the show up – and take it down. So well done everyone!
We’ll post a folder of great images from the exhibition ASAP. And some of the great comments left by visitors to the show.
Cheers!
Linda, Tom and Jane
Arts & Minds
Arts & Minds Grants 2019
Every year Arts & Minds awards grants to LYPFT NHS services to do high quality arts projects. The idea is to help make mental health servives more creative. All the projects will encourage people with serious mental health issues to express themselves through different art forms. Most of the projects were based on ideas from the people using the services. Last week we met to award the grants to the brilliant staff who had encoraged people to get ideas and applied for the grants. Thank you to Peter Johnstone from LYPFT who presented the awards.
The arts projects will start very soon but here’s a summary of what’s going to happen:
Printmaking at the National Inpatient Centre for Psychological Medicine.
The NICPM will work with Swarthmore to run print workshop. The group will make all sorts of things, including tote bags, t-shirts and more.
Music at the Mother & Baby Unit.
Mothers and their babies will work with the brilliant “Made with Music” to do just that – make music!
Digital Interactive Art at dementia wards at the Mount.
People with dementia and their carers will work with Invisible Flock to use the latest digital technology to make artwork.
Tree of Hope at Parkside Lodge.
People with learning disabilties who also have mental health issues will make a Tree of Hope to display in the unit. Artist Kerri Butterworth will help staff use iPads to make them easy to use for people with LD.
Film making at York CAMHS
Young people attending CAMHS will work with artists from Accessible Arts & Media to produce a short film or stop-motion animation based around well-being.
Look out for more updates as the projects start and people begin to make art!
Annual Exhibition 2019
Arts & Minds’ annual art show is now up at the St John’s Centre!
Our amazing team has work incredibly hard to get this – our best show ever – up and running. Thanks all. Get down to the St John’s Centre form 10th – 23rd June to check out the brilliant artwork. The unit is on the lower shopping mall in the main concourse, by the escalators. You can’t miss it!
St Johns Centre, Merrion St, Leeds, LS2 8LQ
10th – 23rd June, open every day, 11am – 5pm
The Arts and Minds annual open exhibition is a showcase of the artwork produced by its members over the year. These members include artists who have different experiences of living with mental health conditions, as well as people who use art as a way of managing their wellbeing, and those exploring the topic of mental health.Some members work or volunteer in mental health services or are carers. The exhibition aims to explore our relationship with art and to celebrate how vital it is to our well-being. It is an opportunity to expose what may not otherwise be seen.
The party to celebrate the show is Friday 14th June, 5pm – 6.30pm at the St John’s Centre. All welcome!
If you would like to visit the exhibition but find public spaces a challenge you could arrange to have a Private View before we open to the public ( ie before 11am). Please email us at [email protected] to arrange this.
Art Workshops – take part!
As part of this year’s Annual Exhibition, we’re offering a series of creative art workshops in our Workshop Space. They are all FREE and WELCOME TO ALL. Please drop in. If you’re part of a group it would be useful to let us know you’re coming. Email us at [email protected]
All workshops take place at St Johns Centre, Merrion St, Leeds, LS2.
Wednesday 12th June 1-3pm
Weaving with Sandy
Traditionally made by South American Indians, God’s Eyes are made using a simple weaving method in a cross formation. They are traditionally used as decoration for festivals including the birth of a child or the Summer Solstice. Come along to the workshop and make your own God’s Eye using different yarns.
Thursday 13th June, 11am – 2pm
Book Binding with Emma
Saturday 15th June, 1 – 3pm
Weaving with Sandy
Traditionally made by South American Indians, God’s Eyes are made using a simple weaving method in a cross formation. They are traditionally used as decoration for festivals including the birth of a child or the Summer Solstice. Come along to the workshop and make your own God’s Eye using different yarns.
Sunday 16th June, 12 – 3pm
Craft with Naheed
Come along to take part in some Sunday mindful crafting! There will be a choice of learning origami techniques and making flowers or why not get involved in making a colourful, rainbow themed postcard for those rainy days to cheer you up. Doodle, draw and colour away! Lovely pieces of craft work that are suitable for all abilities, children and adults. All materials provided
Wednesday 19th June, 1 – 3pm
Printing, basic techniques with Sandy
Make a small printing block using basic materials you might have a round the home. The printing block (or stamp) can then be used to decorate a piece of fabric or paper with repeat patterns.
Thursday 20th June, 11am – 2pm
Book Binding with Emma
Friday 21st June, 12 – 4pm
Journeys with Mussarat
Playing with materials such as papers, cards, glue, sellotape, sticky stickers, embellishments, and generic materials for making hand patterns, cutting out leaves, and making multicultural faces. An open workshop, for all ages and it’s a mixed media workshop working across multiple materials. Part of Leeds Refugee Week.
Saturday 22nd June, 12 – 4pm
Make a Bird with Culture Club
Your chance to make your very own bird out of a plastic bottle! Join the Culture Club team, who created the wonderful bird installation.
Love Arts: The Future
You might be aware that we’re not running a Love Arts Festival in 2019. We’re taking a year off to reflect and work out what next for Love Arts.
Some of you came to the excellent Think-In in January. For those of you who didn’t, we want to make sure we listen to your ideas. So we are inviting everyone to tell us their thoughts via a Survey Monkey:
CLICK HERE TO TELL US WHAT YOU THINK!
You can keep updated on what’s going on by checking out the Love Arts blog, where you’ll see a selection of images that sum up some of the things that were said at the Think In.
We’re having another Think In in March – we’ll let you know all about it soon.
Thanks!
Swarthmore Taster Day
Our next event is coming soon!
A chance to try out some creative workshops and find out more about the Swarthmore Centre.
Swarthmore is a brilliant, accessible and welcoming place. And they do loads of creative courses. Come along to find out more and to try out something you might not have done before.
There’ll be knitting and stitching in the cafe – happening all afternoon. And printing and creative writing. Numbers for these workshops are limited so when you arrive, get your name on the list.
Lunch provided! The event is for Arts & Minds members. But all welcome – you can join us on the day.
See you there!
Swarthmore Taster Day
Tuesday 19th February 12 – 4pm
Swarthmore Education Centre
2-7 Woodhouse Square, Leeds LS3 1AD
Let us know you are coming! Tell us on Facebook or email us at [email protected]
Creative Grants 2019
We are delighted to announce that we are able to give 5 grants of £1000 to mental health services in Leeds to do a creative project in 2019.
If you work or volunteer for an LYPFT service and want to do an arts project, this is the opportunity for you. All we need if for you to fill out the application form. 5 services in Leeds will be awarded a grant to do a creative project in 2019.
Your project needs to involve people who use LYPFT services participating in some form of creative activity (anything from photography to drama, creative writing, dance, singing, music etc) and include them in the planning.
Need some inspiration? Look at our creative pathways guide on our website https://artsandmindsnetwork.org.uk/creative-pathways/
To apply, download the APPLICATION FORM fill it out and email it back to us. Do read all the guidance below.
We recommend that you discuss your idea with us. Contact us on 0113 262 3128
(Mon – Thurs) or email [email protected]
The image above is from a previous Creative Grant funded project – involving service users at the Mother & Baby Unit using photography.
Framework and Guidance
1: Introduction
The document sets out a framework for grants for creative projects taking place within the services of Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (LYPFT).
2: Rationale
Our aim is to support the arts as part of recovery, inclusion and well being. The fund is one way in which we hope to support and encourage artistic and creative initiatives led by people who receive and work in health and social care settings.
3: Purpose
- The purpose of the fund is to support creative projects within LYPFT services.
- Applications can be made by organisations, or individuals planning to work with LYPFT services.
- The fund will support small-scale initiatives that would otherwise not be funded.
4: Criteria for applications
Applications can be made by organisations, or individuals, and planning to work with LYPFT services and should meet these criteria:
- Demonstrate that they will benefit users of LYPFT services and/or their carers
- Enable service users to participate in a creative project in any media
- Have the grant request endorsed by the applicant’s manager
- Demonstrate partnership working with service users and/or carers
- Demonstrate partnership working with other agencies where appropriate
- Agree to evaluate the project using Arts & Minds evaluation tool
- Be outside the service’s usual funding remit
- Be able to contribute an additional £100 to the project’s budget
- Be prepared to share learning and/or showcase work as part of Love Arts Festival in October if appropriate
5: Role of the endorser
The endorser for an application to the Arts and Minds fund has the responsibility for:
- Supporting the applicant to complete the application and authenticating it
- Being responsible for overseeing and enabling the use of the grant
- Approving an additional £100 contribution to the project budget
- With the applicant, jointly reporting on the use of the grant after within a month
If the endorser fails to ensure that the applicant adheres to the criteria set out in the guidance they will not be able to act as an endorser for any future applications.
6: What the fund can be used for
The fund can be used to enable service users, carers and staff to participate in a creative project in any media (eg. writing, photography, drama, dance, music)
Examples of what can be applied for are as follows:
- Artist’s fees – we can advise on appropriate artists or organisations to partner with
- Arts materials – arts & minds members get discounts at art shops, please ask!
- Room hire
- Publicity
- Equipment
This is not an exhaustive list, and all applications will be considered.
7: How much can be applied for
Grants of up to £1000. You must contribute an additional £100.
8: How are decisions made?
- A panel will meet in May to make a decision about the award.
- The panel is comprised of 3 members of the network development group.
- The panel will receive anonymised application forms and will score them against the criteria set out in this framework.
- The panel is co-ordinated by the Arts and Minds Development Manager.
9: Outcomes of Applications
We will notify applicants by email of the outcome of their application as soon as possible after we have made a decision.
10: Responsibilities of successful applicants
- Contribute an additional £100 to the project budget
- Only use the grant for the purpose described in the application
- Refund any unspent balance to Arts and Minds
- Use the grant within six months
- Acknowledge Arts and Minds in any publicity relating to the project
- Share information and knowledge about the initiative where appropriate
- Submit an evaluation of the project within one month of its completion.
Spring Newletter
Spring is here!
The sun’s out, finally. So we think it’s time to think about showing a light on your artwork. There are two exhibitions happening over the next couple of months, the details of which you can find in the current newsletter. Check it out here:
There’s also information about all the latest things going on in Leeds around creativity and mental well-being.
We hope you find something of interest!
Cheers,
Linda, Tom & Jane.
Season’s Greetings from Arts & Minds
We hope you enjoy the festive period. We’ve worked with some amazing artists and performers this year. THANK YOU to all our members, partners and supporters. And a special mention to artist Sue Bird who provided the image used on the home page.
Arts & Minds is closed from 19th December until 2nd January 2019 – if you have any issues or queries we’ll get back to you in the new year.
We know that this time of year isn’t easy for some people. If you’re struggling, you might find some of these numbers useful. USEFUL PHONE NUMBERS. Thanks to Forward Leeds for these.
Meanwhile, we hope you get a chance to be creative over the next few weeks. See you in 2019!
Our first CONNECT & CREATE session will be Monday January 7th, 2pm – pm at The Tetley. See you there!
Linda, Jane and Tom
Arts & Minds Network