Brief for Artist’s Mentor

Arts in Mental Health Project

Brief for Artist’s Mentor

Background and project information
This is an artist led pilot project, supported by a collaborative partnership comprising of Joint Commissioning Team for Mental Health, Telford & Wrekin Community Mental Health Teams, Arts & Culture Team at Telford & Wrekin and Shropshire Arts Partnership.

The idea is to take forward the concept of Art in Health and Well Being by offering creative activity in the form of well supported creative workshops within a community setting, as a therapeutic focus and a means of aiding and sustaining mental health recovery. We want to provide an opportunity for people with mental health needs to access and participate in structured creative art workshops, which will be led by an established artist with the on-going support of experienced mental health workers.

The workshops would offer high quality intervention encompassing new thinking/practices for mental health recovery at its core objectives. This community based structured format would be supported by robust existing referral and risk management systems for people with mental health problems. This project aims to establish a good working partnership between mental health service providers and Arts & Culture Team

The Arts & Culture Team at Telford & Wrekin has many years experience of delivering arts projects to communities in priority wards and vulnerable or targeted groups and also aims to train and support emerging artists interested in working within a community arts setting.


Project detail
The workshops will be coordinated by an established artist. The participants will be referred through the community mental health teams and their contacts. Criteria for referral will be as robust as possible with participants required to:
• Have a keen interest in the arts.
• Be committed to attending each weekly session

The workshops will run for two and a half hours each week on Wednesdays between 12.30 -3.00pm at Castle Farm Community Centre, Hadley, Telford

If appropriate completed artwork(s) may form an exhibition at the end of the pilot with participants taking part in curating the exhibition

Person Specification
We are looking for a person with experience of managing, supervising or mentoring, able to support, advise and offer guidance to a lead artist working on this arts in health project.

The person should demonstrate an interest or have experience in an arts, health or creative environment and be available to work with the lead artist to determine the direction of the project

Skills required
It is anticipated that the appointed person will also have the following:

• Good listening skills
• An understanding of personal / professional development.
• A high level of personal skill in two-dimensional artwork.
• Experience of working with people in a way which enables them to reach their potential.

The pilot project will run for 8 weeks from January to March 2008.

We would like to negotiate regarding what you consider could be delivered before, during and or after the project for the fee of £600


How to apply
• A written response of no more than 2 sides of A4 outlining previous experience and why you are interested in this opportunity.
• CV

Please email helen.chesters@telford.gov.uk
01952 382367 / 07800 671712

Deadline for expressions of interest: Friday 11 January

Informal interview of short listed candidates: Wednesday 16 or Thursday 17 January 2008.

The successful candidate will be subject to a Telford and Wrekin CRB check.