Support Hub Opportunity:
Reflective supervision for participatory artists.

About Support Hub

From 2023 - 2026 Arts & Health Hub will be running a project called the Support Hub which is a range of support programmes for artists exploring health and wellbeing in their practice. This includes:

  1. Artists’ peer to peer mental health groups.

  2. Peer to peer professional development groups.

  3. Reflective supervision support for participatory artists.

  4. One-to-one mentoring for early career artists.

This page shows you details about our reflective supervision support for participatory artists. For other opportunities, click the links above.

You can only apply to one opportunity for the Support Hub (and if you’ve been successful in previous years, you can not apply for the same opportunity.

Applications now open - Deadline June 23rd @ 5pm

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Applications now open - Deadline June 23rd @ 5pm 〰️

How to Apply

  • Carefully read the information below which outlines more information about the specific opportunity.

  • When you’re ready, scroll down to the bottom of this page and click on the button for each opportunity to open the online application form - this is how you apply.

  • Please note that you can only apply for one opportunity. If you were successful in previous years, you can only apply for a different programme than the one that you participated in.

  • The deadline for applications is June 23rd at 5pm. We are unable to accept applications after this time.

  • Note that as a small project funded organisation we are unable to give feedback for unsuccessful applicants.

Are you unsure if this opportunity is for you?

As a Black and brown, disability majority-led organisation we strongly encourage applicants from: ethnically diverse backgrounds; those with lived experience of ill health, disability and/or neurodivergency; LGBTQIA+ artists; those from low income backgrounds and other underrepresented artists in the arts and health sector to apply. You have to be aged 18+ and UK based to apply.

If you are feeling unsure if this opportunity is for you please do reach out to us for clarification or to have a chat, by contacting info@artsandhealthhub.org. We have set aside short half hour sessions (first come first served) to chat to you about any questions that you may have about the opportunity.

Is there help available for the application process?

Email info@artsandhealthhub.org if you want to discuss this further. Please note, if you need someone to physically fill out the form with you, get in touch as Jennifer can support this. Jennifer is unable to answer the questions on your behalf and would only be supporting with uploading information to the form. If you already have an access worker who knows and communicates with you well, we have a small budget to cover costs of them supporting you with the form.

Travel Support

If your financial situation is a barrier to you travelling to and from in person sessions or you need a support worker/guardian to help you travel and/or to takes notes in sessions, please either contact us for a discussion in advance of your application, or note this in your application. We have a limited access budget available and will do our best to support your needs. Please email info@artsandhealthhub.org.

Can I apply in another way than the online form?

You can also send us an audio or video application, provided that you answer the same applications in the form. You can use a service like WeTransfer to send us your audio/video application, which can be sent to info@artsandhealthhub.org.

Q&A session.

We will be holding an online Q&A session using Zoom on 3rd June, 11am - 12pm, open to anyone who wants to hear more about the programmes and ask questions. You can sign up below. The part of the session of us talking through the programmes will be recorded and will be uploaded to this page afterwards.

Easy Read Documents

Click the links below to open easy read documents for more information about the Support Hub project and the reflective supervision support for participatory artists.

The Opportunity.

About the Reflective Supervision Support Groups

The Arts & Health Hub is offering the opportunity for artists with a participatory practice in creative health to access group reflective supervision sessions. One group will run in person in London at Arts & Health Hub HQ, one group will run in person in Manchester at Manchester Museum, and one will run online for national applicants.

About Reflective Supervision Support

Supervision is a supportive process facilitating personal and professional learning and development, and can be helpful for people working in challenging environments such as hospitals, care homes, prisons, hospices and other health and community settings. Supervision can support artists to enhance reflective practices, manage stress, improve self-care and wellbeing, as well as to explore and respond to the unique challenges of working in community settings. Reflective supervision can help you to process the impact that the work you do has on you.

Each group’s 6 sessions will be facilitated by a UKCP/HCPC (regulating body) registered art psychotherapist and supervisor in a closed group setting of no more than 6 participants. Their role will be that of a supervisor in this programme, as opposed to a personal therapist. The sessions will combine a mixture of creative activities as well as group discussion, with a focus on exploration and reflection rather than solutions. You will share experiences of challenging situations to gain knowledge and insight, and we would expect you to listen and do the same for others.

Participants will be expected to be involved in the development of a monitoring and evaluation process and are expected to feedback about their overall experience of reflective supervision. Participating artists are expected to attend all 6 sessions.

Examples of Themes & Topics Discussed in Previous Reflective Supervision Groups

  • Boundary making for artists in the workplace. By this we mean discussing how to put barriers in place so that group participants know what the group is for, and what the group is not for. And what your role is within that setting (group).

  • Learning how to say ‘no’ to projects, to help manage your own time, and your own wellbeing.

  • Talking about how global events may affect the group you are working with, and how to manage this.

  • Learning to make space for yourself and your own art practice, alongside the sessions that you run for other people. This includes allowing yourself time for ‘play’. By this we mean time to experiment with materials and different ways of working.

Session Dates

You must be able to commit to all of the session dates for the opportunity that you apply for. Attending the sessions is important to help build trust and commitment in the group and helps to ensure that people feel safe and supported across the six months.

London Sessions @ Arts & Health Hub HQ

  • Friday, Sept 13th 2024, 2pm - 4pm

  • Friday, October 18th 2024, 2pm - 4pm

  • Friday, Nov 15th 2024, 2pm - 4pm

  • Friday, Dec 13th 2024, 2pm - 4pm

  • Friday, January 17th 2025, 2pm - 4pm

  • Friday, Febuary 21st 2025, 2pm - 4pm

Manchester Sessions @ Manchester Museum

  • Friday, September 6th 2024, 2pm - 4pm

  • Friday, October 4th 2024, 2pm - 4pm

  • Friday, 1 November 2024, 2pm - 4pm

  • Friday, 6 December 2024, 2pm - 4pm

  • Friday, 3 January 2025, 2pm - 4pm

  • Friday, 7 February 2025, 2pm - 4pm

Online Sessions on Zoom

  • Tuesday, September 10th 2024, 2pm - 4pm

  • Tuesday, October 8th 2024, 2pm - 4pm

  • Tuesday, November 12th 2024, 2pm - 4pm

  • Tuesday, December 10th 2024, 2pm - 4pm

  • Tuesday, January 14th 2025, 2pm - 4pm

  • Tuesday, February 11th 2025, 2pm - 4pm

Meet the Supervisor: London Sessions

Frederica Brooks

BA (Hons), Dip A.T., SRAsTH(A), MSc, Mem. Inst G.A., HCPC reg. UKCP reg.

Frederica studied Fine Art before training and qualifying in Art Psychotherapy, and subsequently in Group Analysis. Frederica has over twenty four years experience working in community voluntary sector organizations supporting people recovering from trauma, vicarious trauma and complex PTSD, and in the NHS, has set up and run group work and art therapy provisions with adults, and young people. Frederica also currently provides reflective supervision and facilitates experiential groups for counsellors and psychotherapists in training, and has a small private group practice.

 

Meet the Supervisor: Elizabeth King

Elizabeth King

MA Art Therapy HCPC reg.

Elizabeth studied 3D design crafts specializing in Ceramics before training and qualifying in Art Psychotherapy, and subsequently studying group analysis. Elizabeth has over 17 years experience working in the NHS and education. NHS work with adults focused on therapeutic community work with group members with a diagnosis personality disorder as a result of past complex trauma. Elizabeth currently worked in education in both specialist and mainstream schools, offering dyadic parent child therapy group therapy and individual sessions. Elizabeth also currently provides reflective supervision for both qualified and training therapists, and has a small private practice.

 

Meet the Supervisor: Online Sessions

Roshmi Lovatt

Roshmi worked in the Arts and Health field before training as an Arts Psychotherapist. She is the Founder and Director of Bodhispace Ltd, a service in Milton Keynes offering counselling, psychotherapy, arts therapies, supervision and reflective practice to local communities and professionals. Her particular interest is to support professionals to work sustainably in jobs which might induce burn out, compassion fatigue and vicarious trauma. This has included work with community and participatory artists, where Roshmi has developed a trauma informed approach to creative health practice. Roshmi has a relational, embodied, creative and social justice led model of working which validates the whole individual within their context.

Find out more about Roshmi:

 

Eligibility.

This opportunity is open to:

  • Artists aged 18 and above (there is no upper limit), based in the UK.

  • Freelance/self-employed artists. We cannot accept applications from artists working in a salaried position/s. We regret that we cannot offer support to artists who are currently not working as the group will focus on the sharing of current work experiences and challenges.

  • Artists working in any medium.

  • Artists working in challenging participatory / socially engaged environments.

  • Our London group is only open to artists based in London.

  • Our Manchester group is only open to artists based in Greater Manchester.

  • Our online group is open to artists across the UK. If you are also based in London or Greater Manchester but would struggle to get to the in-person sessions you can apply for the online group.

What Makes a Good Application?

The criteria that we use to look at applications is as follows:

  • That you are eligible for the opportunity (see above), for example that you are based in London for the London groups.

  • That your practice explores health and wellbeing in some form.

  • That you clearly describe your art practice and participatory art practice, so that we understand who you are as an artist, and how you work with others.

  • That you clearly describe challenges and that you are looking for support to deal with them.

Frequently Asked Questions.

If you have questions that are not answered below then please email us at info@artsandhealthhub.org. We may be able to support you with a short phone call/Zoom to answer questions too. We have limited 30 minute slots so please do contact us to check for availability.

 
  • Absolutely. Please contact us at info@artsandhealthhub.org with any questions that you may have.

  • The Arts & Health Hub supports artists that explore health, wellbeing and what it means to be human. This could be:

    • making work about your own experiences of health and illness, or issues around identity.

    • working creatively with communities whose physical and mental health may be affected by illness / societal oppression / health inequalities etc.

    If you are still unsure and would like to have a brief chat with us to clarify, please email info@artsandhealthhub.org.

  • This programme focuses on emotional and psychological support, rather than practical help. We are also running professional development groups (apply here), or you can apply to share at one of our upcoming artist peer groups.

  • Email info@artsandhealthhub.org if you want to discuss this further. Please note, if you need someone to physically fill out the form with you, get in touch as Jennifer can support this. Jennifer is unable to answer the questions on your behalf and would only be supporting with uploading information to the form. If you already have an access worker who knows and communicates with you well, we have a small budget to cover costs of them supporting you with the form.

  • No - this programme is for group supervision only. If you feel you would benefit from reflective supervision but have any worries or concerns about participating in a group, please indicate these on the application form or email info@artsandhealthhub.org.

  • This opportunity is open to people with varied experience, provided that you’re actively working in participatory practice (for example, with others running creative workshops or a project) that explores health and wellbeing. An example could be that you run creative sessions for people with mental health difficulties, refugees or wellbeing sessions for children and families.

  • We use this term to describe the work that artists are doing that support creativity within the context of health and wellbeing environments. An example would be an artist delivering creative wellbeing sessions in the community or in health settings, or sessions that support people living with condition specific difficulties. If you would like to talk to us about this please email info@artsandhealthhub.org.

  • The London and Manchester sessions are only available to artists living in those respective areas. If you are outside of those areas you can apply to access the online group which has a national reach.

  • The content of the sessions is solely between other participants in the group and your supervisor, unless any safeguarding concerns are raised. The feedback that you share as part of the programme evaluation will only be discussed within The Support Hub team and will be anonymised within our reporting.

  • Yes.

  • The deadline for all opportunities in round 2 is 5pm on 23rd June 2024. We are unable to accept applications after this.

  • We know that we will receive more applications than we are able to offer places for.

    Our panel actively look at curating groups that have a diverse set of participants, meaning that we do not select people with the most experience, but people from a variety of backgrounds that would benefit from this opportunity.

    Three people will be making the selections. These will be:

    • Daniel Regan: Artist, Founder & Creative Lead at Arts & Health Hub.

    • Jennifer Gilbert: Gallerist & Freelance Producer and Curator.

    • Mariama Attah: Phtography Curator at National Portrait Gallery & independent curator & writer.

  • We will let you know if you have been selected or not. This will be between 22nd - 26th July.

  • Due to our small team who work part-time, we are unable to provide feedback if you are not selected.

  • No. You can only apply for one opportunity from the 4 opportunities. We encourage you to think about what feels most important to you and relevant to your practice development.

  • No. This opportunity is only open to UK based artists aged 18 and above.

  • If you were successful last year you can apply - but only for a different programme than the one you participated in.

  • We anticipate that there will be between 4-6 people in each group.

Submit an Application.

  • Ensure you are clear on which group you are applying for - in person in London, in person in Greater Manchester, or online.

  • Click the correct button below to open the application form.

  • The deadline is 5pm on 23rd June 2024.

  • We cannot accept submissions after this date.

You can also send us an audio or video application, provided that you answer the same applications in the form. You can use a service like WeTransfer to send us your audio/video application, which can be sent to info@artsandhealthhub.org.

If you are in London:

If you are in Manchester:

If you are not in London or Greater Manchester and would like to access the national online opportunity:

Thank you.

The Support Hub is generously supported by Arts Council England, Baring Foundation and the Greater London Authority.