Reachout With Arts in Mind
Reachout With Arts In Mind is a community capacity building project, an arts project, a mutual aid project, and also, critically, a popular adult learning project, using drama, music, poetry, sculpture, exhibitions and outreach events to facilitate learning experiences about mental health issues for members, the wider community and professional service providers.
Reachout with Arts in Mind is an expressive arts self help group for adults experiencing mental health distress, for those interested in mental health issues. or for others interested in the creative and performing arts. Reachout was established in 1993, initially as a Drama Group. The motivation of members has continued and the project has developed and diversified into a multi art form project exploring a range of creative and expressive arts.
The initiative currently supports 62 adults from across Forth Valley. Artists, members of the community and arts educators all work together to promote and maintain positive wellbeing, and are supported to work in the community to lead collaborative creative projects with a range of community partners.
The organisation aims to increase public awareness of mental health issues through presentations and workshops which challenge stereotypes and prejudices, and which enable others to survive mental illness. The Community Outreach activities inform and illustrate the positive aspects of being involved in a self help group, such as Reachout. Links have been established, locally, nationally and as far afield as Australia, USA and New Zealand, and the organisation is recognised internationally as an innovative model in member-led participatory arts.
Current Activities
- Reachout currently campaigns to empower local people to develop a voice - to gain self esteem and confidence through raising awareness and challenging oppressive stereotypes of mental ill health.
- The project promotes positive mental health by encouraging participants to relax, gain new skills and enjoy experiences in creative arts workshops such as drama, creative writing, sculpture, stained glass, painting, digital animation, mixed media photography and other art forms. Personal creativity is explored and developed, supported by professional artists and friends of Reachout.
- Reachout works with the local community participating in outreach workshops aiming to provide a creative platform for the expression of views and opinions. Some with chronic long term illness use Reachout services regularly. For others, the workshops have served as a stepping stone, increasing self confidence and enabling them to find the road to recovery and to return to further education, volunteering or part-time work.
- The organisation provides workshops to Stirling University’s Department of Community Psychology final year students and for both Scottish and other European psychology conferences.
Reachout Members-Led Creative Banner project received an engage Scotland Visual Education Arts Award 2005. The panel said, “The banner as a vehicle of expression became an icon of enablement, transporting participants to New Zealand and into realms of self-confidence”.
Reachout With Arts In Mind received 2 year Big Lottery funding to support a Community Outreach Pilot Project from June 2006 to June 2008. The funding enables members to continue facilitating outreach presentations, workshops and events, for both the wider population and professional service providers, to reduce stigma and discrimination around mental ill health. Members are currently working in partnership with KLACKSUN (Clackmannanshire Service Users Network) to produce an educational mixed media DVD that may be used as a continuous professional development tool for multi-agency staff working with people with mental health issues.
If you would like further information or would like to consider working with Reachout as a volunteer, partner or member please contact:
Reachout with Arts in Mind,
4/8 Glasshouse Loan,
Alloa,
FK10 1PF.
Telephone: 01259 723 666.
Email: reach_out@tiscali.co.uk
Website: www.reachout.clacksweb.org.uk
Members drop in: Monday – Friday, 10am – 3.30pm