Evaluation report of the impact of the second year of the Community Art Studio Group initiative to enhance the mental health and wellbeing of residents in Canterbury

This two year project has enabled a group of self-selecting local Canterbury residents side lined by mainstream mental health services, to work together in a safe creative community space to explore their mental health and identity through the medium of art. The data collection tools were selected by the head of the Canterbury Art Studio together with members of the public who had enrolled in the programme. The head of the Canterbury Art Studio has written a separate report each year of the specific findings of the participants. The role of the England Centre for Practice Development has been to provide an evaluation report that highlights the impact of the scheme.

The public exhibition of the work in 2016 titled Taking the Line for a Walk, was so powerful in terms of raising community awareness as well as the positive impact that it had on the participants, that the group continued to work through 2017 and a second group has commenced and is exhibiting this season. The pilot has gained the attention of the Live Well for Longer programme and the Shaw Trust who are exploring continued funding with the Canterbury Art Studio.