St Luke's Art Project

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Case Study - Mental Health
St Luke’s Art Project, Longsight, Manchester

“art helps express what you can’t say through words”

St Luke’s Art Project is a church and community based project run in order to enable individuals with mental health needs, within the community, to express themselves creatively in a safe, comfortable space. The Centre is run by Peter Clarke, the Rector, and the Art Project is organised by Artist-in-Residence Alison Kershaw.

St Lukes’ functions as a working alternative to traditional centres dealing with people with mental health needs. It is more than a church, home to a number of projects, a community centre, always buzzing with activity. The arts project is widely acknowledged with a good reputation in the field of art and mental health as an innovative project.

The art project primarily works with individuals who experience mental or emotional distress. This includes people with a variety of psychiatric issues as well as people with mild to moderate conditions like depression and anxiety. At St Luke’s there is a belief that their work helps to keep people out of hospital, although no strong case is proven, comments seem to indicate that self-esteem, interests and opportunities to improve quality to life have increased due to using the arts project.

Pool Arts is a completely “user” managed arts organisation (a company limited by guarantee with charitable aims) which provides facilities, a supportive network, studio space, training and opportunities to disseminate good practice. Pool Arts aims to provide a “moving on” opportunity for artists who experience mental or emotional distress, to maximise wellbeing through artistic expression.

“I am happier when I’m doing my art and textile work”

“I make my art work that hard, complicated, so not to think of my problems, so I could concentrate on it”

“Art keeps my mind focused so I’m not wandering all the time. It keeps me sane”

“Art can make order out of your mind, let you know where you are going and what your purpose is”

“We experience “flow” when we are engaged in activities that are challenging but for which we have the skills to meet the challenge.
Research has shown that arts projects create flow like experiences through the artwork, being able to focus in-depth on an activity creates optimal experiences. The arts provide interpersonal contact, control, skill use, externally generated goals, variety and physical security which thereby increases self esteem, self value and perceived worth to the community.”

The Wise and The Foolish, The Paradoxical World of Mental Health; Story, R 1998-A Research article about St Luke’s Arts Project in Longsight, Manchester.

Contact Alison Kershaw, Artist-in-Residence,
e-mail: alison.sl-arts@good.co.uk; Tel: 07767 356302