Sampad have been working with Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation (BSMHFT) for the last 6 years as part of the BEDLAM Arts & Wellbeing partnership.
BEDLAM 2023 was commissioned by BSMHFT to provide arts and wellbeing sessions for participants aged 18 and over who had been referred by Primary Care Coordinators based at local GP surgeries.
We ran two hubs in the city – the first one in Sparkhill every Friday morning, where participants took part in weaving and craft activities with artist Nilupa Yasmin. The group also learnt embroidery skills to create an artwork linked to their personal interests and positive motifs.
A second hub also ran in Chelmsley Wood where every Tuesday morning, participants were offered an opportunity to take part in a variety of arts activities. They designed and decorated ceramic ‘Mugs for Well-Being’ and took part in photography, creative writing and painting workshops.
Feedback from the sessions was overwhelmingly positive, with one participant saying ‘I’ve had a difficult week and this was just what I needed, I’m very glad I came.’
The art works from both were displayed as part of the wider BEDLAM Exhibition during May-June 2023 which celebrated all the creative work happening across the city as part of this project.
The BEDLAM Arts & Wellbeing partnership is led by BSMHFT and includes Sampad, The Birmingham Repertory Theatre, Midlands Arts Centre and Red Earth Collective.
