“THINKARTS provides arts-related events, projects, voluntary and freelance work opportunities for individuals who experience or have experienced mental health recovery journeys”.
Welcome to Thinkarts
THINKARTS provides arts-related events, projects, voluntary and freelance work opportunities for individuals who experience or have experienced mental health recovery journeys.
Recognising talent and expertise, alongside the barriers often experienced by individuals when accessing the worlds of art and business, THINKARTS endeavours to decrease exclusion by developing healthy and mutually beneficial partnerships with organisations in the wider community.
THINKARTS members can participate in activities, volunteer, enjoy paid positions or receive permitted earnings which protect benefit status.
We are currently affiliated to North East London Foundation Trust (NELFT).
All are welcome to join or request to work with THINKARTS, this is a community strengthening venture for individuals and organisations alike, so why not let it whet your creative appetite? Click here to read more
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Thinkarts Autumn Newsletter
To read the latest Thinkarts Newsletter click here: Thinkarts Autumn Newsletter
Creative Writing Group
A fortnightly forum for all thinkarts members who express their creativity through written word.
For more info and contact details Click here.
Tricia's Gallery updated
'Cat' by Tricia
Tricia has updated her gallery Tricia's Gallery
Thinkarts Exhibitions!
‘At home in Walthamstow’ Arts and Minds III
In September the Ferguson Centre was once again transformed into an interactive gallery space as it hosted ‘Arts and Minds III’, part of the annual E17 Art Trail.
The exhibition was open to members of the public from the 7th-12th September and included; paintings, prints, photography, ceramics, mixed media and much more. It was an inspiring show which stood testament to a great range of artistic talent and the hard work of all who contributed.
Some comments about the exhibition....‘Fresh, imaginative and engaging, this show takes the viewer into the creative side of mental health‘
‘I really appreciate the work that has gone into the exhibition. There is some very bold and sensitive artwork, words don’t do it justice.’
Click here to enter the gallery
More than Just Paint
As part of the E17 Arts Trail, an exhibition of mixed work by members of Thinkarts. Affiliated to NELFT, Thinkarts is a group of enthusiastic artists whose work has contributed to their recovery from or survival of mental health problems. This exhibition demonstrates high quality work undertaken by committed individuals. Click here to enter the gallery
'Eklektikos'
You can find photographs from the Eklektikos workshop and exhibition here
Thinkarts members' images must not be used without initial discussion with, and agreement via Vivienne Wheeler (Thinkarts Lead).
All content Copyright © Named Artists and Thinkarts, unless otherwise noted. All rights reserved.
About Us
Thinkarts staff members:
- Vivienne Wheeler Lead for Thinkarts NELFT
Lead Occupational Therapist, Rehabilitation (Redbridge),
- Administrator
- Matthew Lewis Art Therapist
Link for Waltham Forest
- Cherry Lawrence Art Therapist
Link for Waltham Forest
- Asheley Lotter Occupational Therapist
Link for Redbridge
- Nicky Jackson Support Worker
Dagenhem CMHT
- Jane Burges Link for Older People Waltham Forest
- Michelle Summerbell Link for Older People Redbridge
Who are you calling an outsider?
"Without freedom, no art; art lives only on the restraints it imposes on itself"
Albert Camus
In 1971, the term 'Outsider Art' was used by historian Roger Cardinal to apply to products that belong to no movement or school, and are made by people who have no supposed artistic background.
The suggestion is that outsider artists have had no conditioning and therefore show purity of expression. However, the phrase can be misused or misunderstood, and is felt to be offensive to many individuals, particularly those who use mental health services and often experience daily marginalisation from society.
According to current British statistics, one in four people will suffer with a mental health problem during their lifetime. It follows that this will include a quarter of all trained or untrained artists too, whether they are involved in conventional settings or not. Where would that leave Van Gogh or Beethoven if they were living in the 21st Century?
Thinkarts holds dear the importance of equitable access and creative liberty for all artists. To continue removing the straight jackets and labels that exist in both the arts and health, perhaps 'Free Art' or 'Open Art' should become a more fitting description to recognise those making their own work beyond traditional routes.
Copyright © Jackie Ede
Get Involved!
GIGANTIC offer!
FREE Training in Creative Skills for Redbridge, Havering, Barking and Dagenham Residents 18+
Are you interested in learning how to work with spectacular GIGANTIC Mechanical puppets? Do you have an interest in learning how to run creative workshops, make sound installations, costume and Carnival? Would you like to be part of a team of artists helping to run workshops and creating extraordinary art works at this year’s Molten Festival in Barking?
Emergency Exit Arts, one of the UK’s leading street theatre companies, in partnership with Studio 3 Arts, are running a FREE training course from Monday 24th August to Friday 28th August culminating in performance and family workshops at Molten Festival on Monday 31 August.
Emergency Exit Arts are experts at creating giant mechanical puppets and have used them in outdoor performances around the world. They are transforming one of their GIANTS for the Molten Festival using environmental themes and this is your opportunity to gain an insight into this field of work as well as learn practical skills in workshop facilitation that could help you gain future employment in community arts.
The workshops will take place from 11am to 5pm every day at Studio 3 Arts, in the Malt House in Barking. The first two days will be intensive training with artists from Emergency Exit Arts and Studio 3 Arts leading to work experience assisting in the delivery of community workshops. The training course is aimed at people over 18 with a strong interest in the arts or who would like to use creative approaches to encourage and inspire their communities and clients It is ideal for the artistically inclined, play workers, youth and community leaders.
If you would like to book a place or find out more information please contact Martin as follows: martin@studio3arts.org.uk or on 0208 594 7136.
This project is supported through the 2012 London Cultural Skills Fund, a partnership between the London Development Agency and Arts Council England.
Thinkarts Members Gallery
Thinkarts would like to welcome you to our members art galleries.
Our members galleries is an exciting online art gallery, established in 2007, to provide artists with space and exposure.
The creativity and determination of thinkarts artists, wishing to be exposed motivates us. To this end thinkarts galleries will continually present exciting, dramatic and provocative works of art in on the web and to the local art market.
Please click on a link below to go to a individual members gallery
- Adrian's gallery
- Alan's gallery
- Carlton's gallery
- Charles's gallery
- Daniel's gallery
- Glenn's gallery
- Graham's gallery
- Jo's gallery
- Johns's gallery
- Marilyn's gallery
- Pat's gallery
- Peter's gallery
- Russell's gallery
- Sandras's gallery
- Tricia's gallery
All content Copyright © Named Artists and Thinkarts, unless otherwise noted. All rights reserved.
Thinkarts Members Poetry
Click on a link to go to a members poetry page
- Anon Poetry
- David Berlevy's Poetry
- John Edward Dunn's Poetry
- Ruth Hill's Poetry
- Jo Landau's Poetry
- Keith Martin's Poetry
All content Copyright © Named Artists and Thinkarts, unless otherwise noted. All rights reserved.
Thinkarts Exhibitions
Click on a link to go to an archived exhibition
E17 Trail 2008
The exhibition 'Arts and Minds II' has closed now. It show cased more diverse artwork produced by mental health service users in Waltham Forest. The Ferguson centre is hosted the group show including contributions from members of Thinkarts. In addition artwork produced by participants of the Psychiatric Systems Survivors art studio was shown.
The exhibition aimed to value diversity and promote an inclusive sense of community. You can still experience the wide variety of creativity and self-expression on display by clicking the link to go to the online gallery
Six Days In A Lifetime
Vestry House Museum is curating an exhibition of photographic work by members of thinkarts, an Arts organisation affiliated to the NELFT.
Every Thursday at 1pm, for 6 weeks, participants were asked to capture their lives on film.
The results are eclectic, poignant and quite stunning.
Here is a chance to enter their world if only for a brief moment. An opportunity for all to reflect on our own behaviours and experiences; to realize the similarities, and to challenge any differences. To question what mental health means and most of all to...break the chain of misconception.
The E17 Art Trail produces an annual visual art trail with over 300 artists represented in exhibitions and events across the Walthamstow postcode, E17.
The E17 Art Trail was established in 2004 by two Walthamstow based artists. It has grown into an annual event with more than 300 artists from Waltham Forest taking part. Each artist, group of artists or venue in the E17 postcode organises their own events in their homes, gardens, streets, shops, cafes, libraries, galleries and museums and then submits the details to the organisers who produce a printed trail map and this website
Here's a link to a poster for "Seeing The Wood For The Trees" (Link opens a pdf document)Seeing The Wood For The Trees
All content Copyright © Named Artists and Thinkarts, unless otherwise noted. All rights reserved.
Thinkarts Newsletters
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Newsletters
- Autumn Exhibition Special 2009
- Summer Special 2009
- Spring 2009
- Christmas Special 2008
- Winter Special 2008
- Autumn 2008
- Summer 2007
- Summer Special 2006
- August 2006
- Winter 2006
- May 2006
- April 2006
All content Copyright © Thinkarts, unless otherwise noted. All rights reserved.
Thinkarts Shop
Socrates Mug
Coffee mug bearing the legend "Socrates died from an overdose of wedlock" and a cartoon of Socrates dying in agony.
Click here to open order form.
Drake Mug
Coffee mug bearing the legend "Francis Drake circumsised the world with a 100 foot clipper" and a cartoon of Francis Drake saying "It was a snip"
Click here to open order form.
Milton Mug
Coffee mug bearing the legend "Milton wrote Paradise Lost ...since then no one's ever found it" and a cartoon of Adam saying to Eve "We'll finish off the apple and get an early night" Eve replies"Sounds good to me"
Click here to open order form.
Solomon Mug
Coffee mug bearing the legend "Solomon had 300 wives and 400 porcupines" and a cartoon of Solomon.
Click here to open order form.
Contact thinkarts
Snail Mail
thinkarts,c/o Occupational Therapy Department,
Goodmayes Hospital,
Barley Lane, Ilford, Essex
IG3 8XJ
Tel: 0844 600 1218