I am pleased to have been chosen by the RSA as one of their SW’s grants scheme recipients for an arts project to support Milestones Trust, a social care charity-based Bristol, that supports people with on-going mental health conditions.

I am offering a series of portrait workshops, for people using services to represent themselves as citizens in the wider community and not hidden behind care home systems.

There will be a local photographer also capturing the making and people for a photography portfolio running alongside the portrait painting development.

This aims to represent the real faces of our community that often go unseen or are hidden from mainstream society. The project goal is to give people living in care homes a sense of self as well as developing confidence, relationships, skills, and appreciation for how art can improve lives. These portraits will be exhibited in the Expressions gallery at Milestones Arts festival, due to take place between 22nd and 26th July 2022.

The festival is located within the events space at Paintworks, Bristol, UK, with music and various events on the main stage, poetry, crafts and pop-up workshops and activities, alongside a large-scale contemporary art exhibition.

All events are free for the public to attend.

With thanks to the RSA Southwest and Milestones Trust for supporting this important project.