To work in partnership with The Beaney House of Art & Knowledge (The Beaney) in the heart of Canterbury City Centre. KCAT will receive referrals for adults with mental health issues from the following sources; Self referral, GP surgeries, Porchlight, Live Well Kent and Medway, Kent Refugee Action Network, Community mental health teams. We don’t want to put limits on the types of referrals to our service as our core value is around breaking down barriers to access treatment. Improving access to high quality Arts Therapy to all irrespective of life circumstances or background. The sessions will include ‘art viewing’, ‘museum object handling’, ‘dramatherapy’ (www.badth.org.uk) and ‘art therapy’ (www.baat.org.uk). Arts therapies are delivered by qualified and regulated therapists, who draw on a number of different theoretical frameworks including psychodynamic, humanistic, attachment and person-centred approaches. There will be a focus on wellbeing and social inclusion.

What we'll deliver:

• Deliver 12 weekly group Arts Therapy sessions at The Beaney
• The group will accommodate 12 pariticpants

Why it's a great idea:

In V.J Felitti’s seminal research paper The Adverse Childhood Experience Study (ACE 1998), he makes the connections between toxic stress in childhood being the leading cause of death in adults. Our companies clinical work sits within the ‘Humanistic-Relational’ theoretical framework. That is to say it has a Person-Centred Approach as influenced by the psychotherapist Carl Rogers. Rogers describes three tools to support the process of change and personal development. These are empathy, congruence and unconditional positive regard, all of these qualities we strive to bring to our sessions to support group members in reflecting upon and process their own individual traumas and to assist them on their personal journeys to become oneself. It is our belief that engagement in Arts Therapies helps people to better manage their mental health issues and this can then result in an increased capacity for the person to contribute and engage in the world around them.

Steps to get it done:

• Book learning lab space at The Beaney.
• Advertise to local community groups information about the project and ways to make referrals.
• Accept all referrals and carry out assessments.
• Run 12 creative art therapy sessions at The Beaney

AGE UK’s (2018) report ‘Wellbeing in Later Life’, found that engagement in arts and cultural activities was more strongly associated with wellbeing than any other factor, including physical health. As a result, it makes sense to provide health and wellbeing services in venues other than doctors surgery’s and community mental health centres. We want our therapy provision to take place in more enriching spaces, such as, theatres, museums and galleries to promote social inclusion and a ‘connection with community’. KCAT Vision: To deliver a high-quality community support programmes which utilises the Arts Therapies and cultural spaces to enable participants to reach their full potential irrespective of their life circumstances. Rt. Hon. Lord Howarth of Newport calls for an informed and openminded willingness to accept that the arts can make a significant contribution to address a number of pressing issues faced by our health and social care system