BrightSparks

Informally run for 7 years, BrightSparks is now a fully constituted arts in mental health group. It’s central principle is to use the arts to promote positive images of mental health; social inclusion; service user and carer involvement. It exists to acknowledge, support and showcase the creative talent that exists within the mental health community through an expanding portfolio of creative projects. These include: The BrightSparks Annual Showcase, The Brighter Side, ArtSpace and most recently, Sparkplugs.
BrightSparks Annual Showcase.

BrightSparks began with The BrightSparks Art Exhibition and The BrightSparks Guildhall Show. These are still our longest running projects. They are programmed to coincide with World Mental Health Day and take place at the Leicester City Gallery and The Guild Hall, respectively. The annual showcase events are always oversubscribed and the audiences widely attended. Many BrightSparks artists have since gone on to develop successful careers in the arts.

ArtSpace.

ArtSpace provides studio space and professional facilitation for artists experiencing mental health and social exclusion issues. It came about as a result of steadily mounting demand for BrightSparks to develop a regular group, where the people who contributed work to our annual shows could come to socialize and develop their practice with support.

We have now been running for a year and meet every four weeks on a Wednesday afternoon. Sessions take place at 27A Access Arts, Belvoir Street, Leicester. Due to rising demand for this resource, we have plans to expand in the future and are currently preparing a grant application to this end.

In addition to workshops and studio space, ArtSpace also stages events and touring exhibitions throughout the year. We are currently working in partnership with Leicester City Libraries, to deliver a short course of professionally facilitated poetry workshops.

The Brighter Side.

The Brighter Side is a performance poetry based project, working with identified statutory and voluntary sector services. Ideally, each project consists of a series of performance poetry workshops (facilitated by reformed psychiatric nurse and performance poet Rob Gee) and a series of illustration workshops (facilitated by me!). The workshops result in a high profile performance of all the work generated, usually at a mainstream venue. We also produce an accompanying illustrated journal of work.

Last January The Brighter Side worked with volutary sector service REMIT. The projects final show attracted an audience of over 230 to Leicester’s Phoenix Arts. We have just attracted a similar audience for our World Mental Health Day Brighter Side, also held at Phoenix Arts

We are currently working with Langton Day Hospital to develop an adapted version of this project, and have been approached by a number of other organizations to do the same.

Sparkplugs.

Sparkplugs is regular writers group. Initially funded by Leicester City Libraries and based at 27a Access Arts, the group has now moved to the super swanky Richar Attenborough Centre, Leicester. Sessions are facilitated by me (Lydia) and open to new comers.

BrightSparks Who’s Who.

Treasurer: Tim Sayers is a Community Psychiatric Nurse, the founder of BrightSparks and the holder of an LPT Celebration of Achievement Award. As well as being lead singer for Bombdogs, he can ride a uni-cycle and do workshops. Though not at the same time

Chair: Lydia Towsey is currently based within Leicestershire South Assertive Outreach. In 2005 she won a NIMHE award for best practice in the category of Arts and Mental Health. She is Editor of “Bubble” Psychological arts magazine, and has project managed and workshop led on a number of Arts Council England, Leicester City Libraries and NHS funded arts in mental health projects. She has recently worked with Arts Council England to develop a joint funding application for the role of LPT Creative Arts Coordinator. Recently successful, this jointly funded post will shortly become active. In the meantime, Lydia has been informally acting in the role. For more info see about me

Secretary: Rob Gee, is a performance poet, comic, workshop leader and reformed psychiatric nurse. He is also our secretary