Atlas to Recovery

Watch Andrea talk about how she created this artwork here

Atlas to Recovery is a multi-arts project involving professional artists and facilitators Susan Clarke, Saul Hewish, Kath Stanway, Dan Higgs, Siobhan Mcaleer, Fateha Begum, Andrea Joseph, James Earls-Davis, Emily Andrews and Cynthia Coady working with B arts Advisory Group and Volunteer Performers, The Social Agency, ASHA, Changes and Growthpoint.

The broad theme of the project is recovery, particularly from periods of mental ill health. Each community group will work with two or more artists and facilitators to create an exhibit of four large interactive maps, made using decoupage. This interactive exhibit will open in the B arts building on Saturday 1st April 2023.

These maps, based on a type of medieval map called a mappa mundi, will tell stories of people’s experiences, expressed in imagery and text. Each map will include a number of buttons that, when pressed, trigger audio recordings of stories and accompanying the exhibit will be a musical soundtrack. The process of creating and realising the project will be documented by way of a short video.

Artwork by Andrea Joseph

Susan Clarke Artistic Director of B arts says; “Atlas to Recovery is an exciting new piece of work that is exhibiting in our building in the first week of April. It is a fantastic opportunity for our artists to continue to put the lived experience of our participants at the centre of the work. Times are hard for us all and so we can all benefit from listening to people who continue to recover from trauma and stress every day. We are also very pleased to say that the project has been funded by Stoke City Council and the Paul Hamlyn Foundation.”

Saul Hewish Project Leader of Atlas to Recovery says; “We started working with group members this week and already we have a lot of great ideas about how to express people’s experiences of recovery. I’m really excited to see how these ideas grow into large pieces of art.”

Zoe Best, Support Time Recovery Worker from Growthpoint says; “Growthpoint enables people who have experienced mental ill health to engage in recreational, vocational and multi-based projects. Empowering individuals through the philosophy of recovery, utilising a person-centred strength based, therapeutic approach. Several artists are participating in art workshops both at B Arts and at community workshops to create art work exploring recovery and what this means to them, this art work will then form the basis of their Mappa Mundi for the Atlas Project”

A participant at Growthpoint says; “The process of recovery from mental ill health is different for everyone. The mappa mundi is a great way to show this because they are less about a realistic representation of a particular landscape, but much more about a way of communicating ideas, stories and beliefs.”

Atlas to Recovery has been funded by Stoke-on-Trent City Council’s Culture & Events Project Grants.

You can find us at 64-72 Hartshill Road, Stoke, ST4 7RB.

Entrance to the exhibition is via the Bread in Common Cafe door.

Access:

The exhibition is fully accessible by anyone using a wheelchair

It is a standing up, walk around exhibition, however if you need any further assistance or information please contact Kath on 07544814720 or kath.stanway@b-arts.org.uk

Admission:

Admission is free for everyone, and the exhibition does contain themes of mental health and recovery including potential strong language and imagery, so parental guidance is advised.

What to expect:

You will receive a warm welcome with accessible facilities.

Our on-site café Bread in Common will be open for lunch on Saturday 1st April, and drinks and snacks on Sunday 2nd – Thursday 6th April during opening hours.

In the evenings of Monday 3rd – Thursday 6th April the Bread in Common Bar will be open from 6pm serving a range of alcoholic and soft drinks.

The café will also host an open mic evening from 6-7pm Monday – Thursday evening.

Getting to us:

The number 25 bus stops outside our building

Car Parking

Vale St Car Park, ST4 7RL

Aquinas St Car Park, ST4 1NQ

Please do not park over the road at St Andrews Square this is for residents only. Please respect our neighbours.

Please keep our forecourt free for loading and unloading.