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Arts & Culture
Services
See services for other inclusive practices and domains
Supporting Service Users
Are you interested in Creative Expression to support your Mental Wellbeing?
ACE drop-in is meeting every Thursday at
Community Options 2a Fielding Lane, Bromley, Kent, BR2 9FL
Doors open at 5pm - 7.30pm
Friends and family are welcome
Dropping in and joining is free
Small charge for tea and coffee
For more information contact Tracy on 020 8313 9725
The group was set up after a service user who was a keen musician, expressed an interest in playing the guitar, drums and performing the songs he had written. The group moved to its current location in 2005 at Antenna Music Studios, Crystal Palace. It's a popular community venue with a relaxed atmosphere.
Contact:
Phil Friel: 07879 417963
Julian Palmasciano : 07917 067342
Watch Bromley ACT perform on DevelopMEDIA:
Bromley Arts Council was formed in 1965 to maintain, improve and develop the arts in Bromley, and while retaining its independence, works in partnership with the London Borough of Bromley. Membership includes over 400 groups.
Contact: Thelma Richardson
Tel: 020 8464 5816
Email: enquiries@bromleyarts.com
Visit the Bromley Arts Council website: 
Opened on 19 July 1977 by HRH The Prince of Wales, The Churchill quickly established a reputation as a leading producing theatre. The Churchill's policy is to present a comprehensive range of outstanding entertainment fulfilling the needs of local theatre-goers. The comfortable auditorium, seating up to 785, is fully air-conditioned and the theatre's facilities include bars, refreshment kiosks and spacious foyers. The Churchill creates its own productions, receives touring productions and hosts local amateur companies. Many Churchill productions transfer to the West End whilst others tour nationally after leaving Bromley. Recent productions include This Is Elvis, a star-studded production of Heroes, Stuart Little, Strangers On A Train.
ATG's own producing theatre, Churchill productions are renowned for their excellence as well as for attracting leading actors including Joan Collins, Rula Lenska, David Essex, Susie Blake, Christopher Timothy, Lesley Joseph, Art Malik and Colin Baker.
The Churchill is a Develop Partner. If you need support with access you can ring up and ask when you book tickets and there is a free tickets scheme for under 26's - see the Churchill website below:
Contact: Julia Potts
Tel: 020 8290 8225
Visit website:
Website listing some of the available venues if you want to organise your own arts event in Bromley.
Visit website:
This is a work rehabilitation project for people who have current or previously had mental ill health. By learning ceramic techniques and creating ceramic pieces, our members develop their creative side and their team-working skills. We organise sales of our work and exhibitions in and around Bromley and further afield. With support from Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust and Bromley Mind, Credo operates in Orpington and Penge.
Clients must be referred by their GP or any other healthcare professional. With funding from organisations such as The Big Lottery Fund, The European Social Fund's "Fast Forward" Programme and The City Bridge Trust, we also run outreach into the community, which usually runs as discrete projects over a number of weeks.
Credo is also a member of the Bromley Arts Panel, representing Develop and mental health service users in the Borough.
Contact: Anne Bannon
Tel: 01689 878 225 or 07753 244 743
Email: credoceramics@onetel.com
Website and resources:
Bromley Mind works to make a positive impact on the lives of residents of the borough with mental health needs, empowering its service users through the provision of activities and facilities including creative courses encompassing arts, creative writing and drama and music courses and projects.
Contact: Glen Snow
Tel: 020 8289 5020
Email: stepstone@bromleymind.org.uk
Visit website:
Bromley Players are a non-professional performing arts group producing a wide range of theatrical and musical productions in and around Bromley.
If you're a singer, dancer, actor or would like to be part of the crew we are interested in you. No experience necessary, just turn up on a Tuesday evening and introduce yourself, alternatively send us an email.
Contact: Richard Rook
Email: bromley_players@hotmail.com
Visit website:
On this website you can find out whatever you might want to know about the many drama or operatic societies that exist within the borough of Bromley.
Contact: Tim Hinchcliffe
Tel: 07719 946 793
Email: tim@timhinchliffe.com
Visit website:
ArtsEnhance, which started at Bromley Hospitals NHS Trust in 2002 was originally founded to raise funds to supply artwork and paintings for the new Princess Royal University Hospital in Farnborough.
The purpose of ArtsEnhance is to improve the hospital environment for the sake of patients, visitors and indeed, staff, managing a variety of arts projects to improve the hospital environment and patient experience.
For further details, contact:
Josie Aston, Arts Co-ordinator, Tel: 01689 863095
Email: josie.aston@bromleyhospitals.nhs.uk
Download more details on ArtsEnhance (PDF):
This is a national card that can be used to verify that the holder is entitled to one free ticket for a person accompanying them to the cinema.
To apply for the card, you will need to meet one or more of the following criteria:
a) Be in receipt of the disability living allowance or attendance allowance.
b) Be a registered blind person.
The card is valid for 1 years from the date of issue.
Visit website for more information and to order:
Creative Minds is a London wide ‘user'/‘survivor' led art networking forum. Creative Minds is dedicated to challenging stigma and prejudice surrounding artists connected to the mental health system by promoting and providing support, publicity, networking and exhibition opportunities to arts organisations and individuals involved in arts and Mental Health.
Creative Minds is committed to enabling dialogue within the arts and mental health communities and to creating links between mainstream art and arts in mental health.
Contact: Joanna Gore on 020 7411 6145
Email: joanna@creativeminds.co.uk
Visit website:
The Cultural Olympiad will help ensure the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games are ‘Everyone's 2012' by giving communities throughout the UK the opportunity to join in.The aims of the Cultural Olympiad are to:
- encourage and welcome involvement from communities across the UK, including London;
- leave a lasting legacy that improves cultural life;
- showcase excellence in the performing arts and creative industries as well as sport;
- introduce young people to the UK's many artistic communities and those from around the world;
- promote London as a major cultural capital;
- heighten economic regeneration and encourage tourism in the UK through the work of the creative industries;
- incorporate the Olympic values of ‘excellence, respect and friendship' and the Paralympic vision to ‘empower, achieve, inspire'.
Offers flexibility and inclusivity for those with complex needs. As well as their Social Engagement Programmes, the Education Department also runs a busy weekly public programme of lectures, events, classes and workshops.
Contact: Clare Ferdinando
Tel: 020 8299 8734
Email: c.ferdinando@dulwichpicturegallery.org.uk
Visit website:
Service provided by Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust to encourage service users and carers to express themselves through various mediums of the arts, including dancing, acting, singing and painting.
Contact: Neil Springham
Visit website:
Open to all
A training package designed to encourage museums and galleries to involve people with experience of mental health problems has been commissioned by a partnership of NSIP, the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council, the V&A, Tate Modern, The Wallace Collection and Portugal Prints, and developed by the University of Nottingham, Nottinghamshire County Teaching PCT and the Lost Artists Club. It aims to help build the bridges needed between people with mental health problems, museums and galleries and the wider community.
Open to All has been devised to raise awareness and support museums and galleries to create a more accessible and inclusive environment for all their users. The topics covered include:
- Understanding mental health and mental ill health
- Social exclusion: stigma and discrimination
- Arts and mental health
- Recovery and social inclusion
Online Booking Agency for Bands
Sound Minds began in 1992 on the Springfield Hospital site with a successful music group for inpatients, which soon proved popular, with performances in the hospital library.
They now offer a comprehensive music service in the Mental Health sector, whether it be for booking rehearsal rooms, gigs or courses.
Contact: Paul Brewer
Tel: 020 7207 1786
Email: staff@soundminds.co.uk
Visit their website for more information:
Survivors’ Poetry is a London-based National arts charity that works to support, promote and publish the poetry of people who have been through, or are currently in, the UK’s mental health system.
Contact: Roy Birch
Tel: 020 7281 4654
Visit website:
Tate Modern run free gallery introductions for community groups. This includes workshops and a chance to see the exhibitions.
Call Community Programmes Team (Synthia, Liz, Akikl and Alison) on 020 7401 5176/5068/5069.
Link to website:
Supporting Service Development
Art Matters is a studio in Redhill providing support, space, materials and an atmosphere for those experiencing mental health needs. One in four people will experience emotional and mental distress in any year and social exclusion factors compound the issue.
Creative activity has long been recognised as beneficial to those experiencing mental health issues, promoting relaxation and reducing stress. The opportunity to interact with like minded individuals in a safe and calm environment like Art Matters, can also help reduce feelings of isolation and loneliness.
Visit website:
Creative Therapies was founded in 1994 by a drama-therapist in response to the needs of people with emotional, physical and mental health issues. Originally it was set up as an association of arts therapists working in various communities in Glasgow. By 1996, it became a company limited by guarantee, had gained charitable status and was governed by a Board of Directors.
This formal structure enables the provision of ‘creative therapies' to be accessible to more people, in particular, young people and families. It also enables the company to fundraise for projects and to plan work in close partnership with other agencies.
Creative Therapies now employ Art, Drama, Music and Movement Therapists and hope to see the company develop further. To partners, we are known for the depth of our work, our commitment to the young people we come into contact with, our willingness to share our expertise and the innovative and responsive nature of the company. Our work has been made possible by individuals and organisations that understand our need to sustain work with the young people over a period of time.
The Arts Development Team supports the development of arts and cultural activity in the city through supporting individual artists, performers and arts organisations and through actively encouraging access and participation in the arts among the widest possible range of people.
The team is also responsible for the artistic programme and a range of educational and participative opportunities at Tramway.
Visit website:
Tackling social exclusion in libraries, museums, archives and galleries.
The Network is a network of organisations, including:
- Local authorities (public libraries, archives and museums) in England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland
- National museums, archives and libraries (including the House of Lords Record Office; the British Library; the British Museum; the National Library of Wales)
- University Departments (including the Petrie Museum; the Research Centre for Museums and Galleries; Manchester Metropolitan University)
- Professional bodies (such as the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals)
- Heritage organisations (including English Heritage; the Heritage Lottery Fund)
- Charities, voluntary sector organisations (including the National Literacy Trust)
- Individuals committed to tackling social exclusion
Formed following a seminar in February 1999 (as part of the dissemination and publicity for the then Library and Information Commission-funded research project, "Public Library Policy and Social Exclusion", the report of which was published under the title, Open to all?), The Network runs courses, seminars and conferences, and publishes a monthly Newsletter. It also coordinates a number of email lists.
Visit website:
The Together: Working for Wellbeing Our Space gallery was established at 12 Old Street, London EC1V 9BE, in 2006.
It supports and celebrates all artists in the mental health arena, as well as any external artists or performers who would like to help reduce stigma and prejudice in mental health.
Visit website for more details and upcoming exhibitions:
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