Artists
The culmination of the ‘Doing What Matters’ Project was a webinair for artists, community connectors and social prescribers called, “Why Prescribe Art?’
Participants and artists shared perspectives on both content of our workshops, and the impacts. Since, we have been commissioned to lead a case study project exploring what the cultural sector can contribute to social prescribing. We have also supported our regular artists to access supervision, peer support, and training opportunities often out of reach for artist and freelancers.
As the interest in arts for health, social prescribing and creative wellbeing grows, we are increasingly working to support artists and creative freelancers directly. There is substantial emotional labour in this work, and isolation in freelancing. We are developing programmes to share the expertise drawn from our over ten years of experience in creative health work.
Significant Seams has a small group of core artists and creative people who are passionate about art for health and community building work.
Most are specialists in working with vulnerable people, and bring lived and specialist experience of trauma or mental ill health. Some bring other specialist skills.
Our collective practice draws on nature and explores themes of identity and community. Each artist is self employed and maintains their own practice, in addition to our collaborative work. We co-develop and bid for larger projects together.
We provide each other peer support, and work to secure developmental support for each other for arts for mental health activities.