Celebrating Creative Personalities - Stevenage, Herts - 14th July 2009

Martin Bragg from Herts Viewpoint wrote the following review of the day:

On 14th July, I travelled to Stevenage Arts and Leisure Centre for an event devised by the Personality Plus (P+) organisation which was formed in early 2007 to promote a more positive view of people with personality disorder (PD)by encouraging and publicising their artistic creativity.

‘Imagine and wish’ was the theme. If you have or identify with a PD diagnosis, what cultural projects and opportunities would you like to create in Hertfordshire with P+ support?

Outlines of ‘light bulbs’ printed on sheets on paper were distributed for participants to fill with their bright ideas. Sounds corny but it worked: the twenty or so people present ‘illuminated’ 30 bulbs by the end of the day. From contributions that were works of art in their own right, down to my own hastily scrawled efforts, a common theme emerged: service users do cherish their own and others’ creativity and wish for more opportunities to express it. Whether through pottery or poetry, drumming or dancing, we seek activity which can ‘help me live, not exist …help me to help myself’, as one contributor wrote.

Later, Andy, a service user who works with P+, described how the rediscovery of his artistic abilities, long suppressed, had greatly helped his journey from being homeless and alcohol dependent to an artist exhibited at the Tate Modern. A lively discussion followed; some chose to continue this in another room while I and others joined Belinda, creative director of the event, in experimenting with the craft of feltmaking – tactile, messy and relaxing.

The final session was a discussion, led by Kath of Borderline UK, which will be placed as an audio podcast on P+ website.

More P+ activity in Hertfordshire will be coming soon, so watch out for news of this from Viewpoint and the web address above.

I’m grateful to Andrew Smith of Stevenage for helping to identify a good venue for the event, and to Lin at Guideposts Trust. Many thanks to Julie who came from Yorkshire to facilitate the light bulbs exercise and to Belinda, Stephanie, Andy and Kath for supporting us in who we are and what we want to do.

Martin Bragg

Click here for a link to the edition of the Herts Viewpoint Newsletter in which this article appears.

We will be providing information here soon on the outcome of the day.  If you are interested in being involved please email your details to pplus@hotmail.co.uk.

Events in Eastern Region