BARTS ART AND WELLBEING
Coping through Connection and Creativity
Photograph: “Night Shift” by Russell Hall, Clinical Fellow, St Bartholomew’s Hospital
This Blog was set up by Barts Health Art Therapists, Megan Tjasink and Poppy Stevens as a staff support initiative for Barts Health clinicians during the initial Covid-19 surge in the UK in Spring 2020. The Art Therapists invited colleagues to participate in an art-based support forum for Barts Health staff. The aim of the online forum was to support wellbeing, coping and resilience through accessible creative methods informed by Art Therapy, Mindfulness and Compassion Focussed Therapy.
The project ran for a year until Spring 2021. The Blog is now a self care and / or wellbeing resource for health care professionals and psychological specialists. If you would like to find out more about the application of the creative arts therapies for hospital staff support, please email Megan Tjasink: megan.tjasink@nhs.net.
Please see the About page for more information. The Blog was updated weekly with new themes and staff art work galleries during the active phase of the project and now acts as a historic resource.
Latest from the Blog
Drop – in sessions RLH
SBH Art Therapists and Clinical Psychologists have been running Friday lunch-time drop – in art therapy based workshops for staff at the RLH. Themes from this blog have been adapted for the drop – in sessions. For example, the “hand self portrait” previously used in April 2020, was given a new slant, connecting to values.…
Light – 11 January 2021
With many working long shifts, catching the light has become a precious thing. Take a few moments to notice the early morning or late afternoon light. Perhaps on your journey to or from work, or when you take a break if you’re working from home. Notice the way the light falls on a building, the…
Expressive Art Group- 25th of November ‘Colour Installation’
During the second lockdown we may have become all too familiar with the interiors of our homes and gardens. This week we will be focussing on noticing and observing what objects surround us, that may otherwise go unnoticed. We ask you choose a colour. Seek out 3- 6 objects ( or more if you can!)…
Expressive Art Group – 28 October create . destroy . transform
This month we will be revisiting a trauma informed art therapy task which also embodies an intrinsic element of the creative process (and happens to feel very relevant at this time of change!): Create, destroy, transform. We will be using art materials to explore this theme in the Expressive Art Group for staff on Wednesday…
Barts’ Winter Wellbeing Week
I really enjoyed the session. I woke up in the night and did some more [art] work! I am so glad you have continued with the group. It has really helped me relax. Artwork by Sue Fidler, Specialist Palliative Care CNS Carmel Brennan, Endocrine CNS
Winter Wellbeing Expressive Art Group- Wednesday 30th September
When: Wednesday the 30th of September 20.15-21.30 Where: From your office / kitchen table/ sitting room (Microsoft Teams link below) Join Microsoft Teams Meeting Join us for the re-launch of the Expressive Art Group for staff which ran weekly during the acute phase of the pandemic. Due to positive feedback from staff, we are reforming…
Link for tonight’s group
Join Microsoft Teams Meeting
Expressive Art Group for staff – Monday 24 August
Hi everyone. In preparation for Monday’s group please collect some plant specimens that can be dismantled. These could be have many small leaves or flowers or could be a large flower with many petals (like those in the photos below). We will be using wet and dry materials, experimenting with elements of chance and fragmentation,…
Theme for late August: Dismantling and (re) creation
Many of you will be taking much needed Annual Leave over the next couple of weeks. Wherever you are – away, home, or at work – we encourage you to take some time to reflect on and process some of the many changes to your life these past months. To facilitate this, we encourage you…
Get new content delivered directly to your inbox.
Barts Art and Wellbeing 