Supporting LGBTQIA+ Mental Health through creativity!
Over the past few years, Burton & District Mind have been taking steps to do more for people who identify as LGBTQIA+. Through what started as our Expression! Steering Group, we went on to run the first iteration of our Creative Spaces in 2025.
We were so pleased with the success and impact of these sessions, so having now learnt from the first version, we are bringing the Creative Spaces back for 2026!
Now you may be wondering what exactly our Creative Spaces are, and why they are good for mental health. To answer this, we have put together a short FAQ that we hope will answer any questions you may have about this!
What is Creative Spaces?
Burton & District Mind are delivering arts sessions to support people (aged 16+) who identify as LGBTQIA+ and have mental health problems. The sessions will help to build confidence, improve wellness and help to build local connections. We start our programme in March 2026 in Tamworth and in Burntwood, with a group arranged in Burton for later in the year.
Why LGBTQIA+?
Burton & District Mind are proud to be allies of people who might refer to themselves as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual and suchlike terms. We know that people who identify in this way are more likely to also cope with depression and anxiety – often as a result of living in a world that feels hostile to them at times. We are delivering these projects as a result of our findings from an equality project we ran with the communities in 2025, and we piloted our method, co-produced by this project.
So what are we doing?
People can come and take part in arts and hobby activities – and show other people in the group what they are good at or something they want to try out. YOU DON’T NEED TO BE GOOD AT ART! This is about creativity, connection and expression more than great pieces of art, so any level is welcome. We want to design the programme with you in mind – so although we have previously had a go at rock painting and poetry, we are very open to what the people in the group want to do – as long as it’s arts or craft hobbies. Come and show off!
When and where is it?
We are at Safe Haven in Tamworth town centre on Tuesday afternoons (1-3pm) from early March 2026, and at Old Mining College in Chasetown (Burntwood) on Thursday afternoons (1-3pm).
Who else will be there?
We have two facilitators who will help to run the sessions, and volunteers will also be there – they will help run the programme and provide support in case anyone needs to chat about their mental health. Everyone is trained and has been handpicked to be as wonderful as they can be!
Do I need to book my place?
Yes, but it is free of charge, as it is funded by the National Lottery’s Awards for All funding. To book your free place – www.burtonmind.co.uk/contact-us or call the office on 01293 566696. There will also be some surveys to complete so we can see if this project is helpful for good mental health.
Will this work for me?
Here’s what one of the last participants said:
“I have a background dealing with my own depression and anxiety in general in life. I was interested in bringing my experiences into linking with creative ideas, and felt that would help support other people on their own mental health journey. In sessions, we were able to explore both specific mental health needs through artistic expression and perform exercises that were helpful in the immediate term. I thought these were effective and a good basis to progress with other similar sessions. People really enjoyed engaging with directed activities and were willing to speak about their own issues while working on art.”
We hope this has given you a good idea as to what this project is, but if you still have any questions, we’d be more than happy to answer them, so just give us a call or an email!
www.burtonmind.co.uk/contact-us
info@burtonmind.co.uk
