Gail Henderson and Phoenix Arts are showing their work at The Arc, Stockton until November 12th.
The exhibition arose from a series of workshops led by local artist and Royal College of Art graduate, Gail Henderson, using a life model and looking at gender issues emerging from that process.
Phoenix Arts are a group of people with mental health issues who have been meeting for three years in Stockton supported by tees valley arts. They have exhibited their work in various venues across the Tees Valley and produced a series of posters for Mental Health Promotions. The group has been asked to paint Murals for the well being of others and some of their work has been sold to raise money to help with their materials budget. Working with a variety of artists and project co-ordinator, Adrian Moule, the group, alongside their support workers from Tees and North East Yorkshire Health Trust are keen to promote the benefits of having a resource like this on our doorstep, which is why the group would like to expand and create an identity for the group which will be autonomous.
The Phoenix Art project will provide a variety of activities which will work towards:
- Provision of an arts space for the community
- Arts on prescription to act as an alternative or complementary response to medication.
- Artists working alongside participants in arts workshops.
- An emphasis on working towards inclusion and employment by working alongside artists, gaining new skills and building confidence.
- Will encourage arts students to gain experience of working in community settings through supervised work placements.
- An opportunity to develop secondary care workshops, building a gateway to well being.
- Professional guidance for marketing and exhibiting participants work.
- Studio space for rent to professional artists. Trained educators providing access to further education on a flexible basis.
Phoenix Arts Project Co-ordinator Adrian Moule commented “it is an extraordinary energetic, powerful and energetic exhibition”.