09/07/2025
Life in a Coastal Town: New exhibition exploring mental health and community through art
How does it feel to live in Weston-super-Mare when you are struggling with your mental health? What resources exist in the local community – and what barriers are there to accessing them?
In March of this year, I was asked to lead a series of workshops for an exhibition, ‘Life in a Coastal Town: A creative exploration of community and belonging’, which is part of the Coastal Community & Creative Health project. Led by the Universities of Bristol and Liverpool, the event is funded by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Arts and Humanities Research Council.
The exhibition shares original artwork by people living in Weston-super-Mare, exploring their experiences during some of life’s toughest times. Young refugees, people in recovery from substance use, and bereaved people worked with three artists (Myself, Niki Groom and Bev G Star) to explore their use of local community services and resources, barriers to access and gaps in support. The result is a powerful and insightful exhibition, telling stories of identity, resilience, hope and belonging that are rarely heard.
This new free exhibition is coming to Weston Museum from Tuesday 8 to Thursday 17 July explores these questions through the creative storytelling of people who often feel excluded. If you’re in Weston over the next couple of weeks, do pop in and have a look. It has been an honour to be a part of it all.
