HeadSpace Poetry

Boosting well-being poetically! In 2008, we received funding from Leicestershire County Council’s Shire Grants, to run a pilot poetry project for people with severe and enduring mental health issues in Leicestershire. The project was based on similar workshops run via BrightSparks Arts in Mental Health Group in Leicester. Led by renowned poet and bright spark Lydia Towsey, sessions focused on improving creative writing techniques, enhancing performance skills and increasing confidence and self-esteem.

In six sessions, based at Coalville Library, ten adults were able to compose their own exquisite poetry. Activities included writing poems from the perspective of a stranger in a painting and assigning human qualities to inanimate objects. The project culminated in a small performance, where friends and family were treated to poetry readings at the Library. HeadSpace also produced an impressive exhibition, featuring work by a selection of the artists. Participants reported that they felt more confident in reading their work in front of others and in meeting new people, as well as having improved their poetry writing skills in a big way. Having uncovered so many talented writers, Mantle hopes to continue the project, so look out for future workshops and exhibition opportunities.