ChilliStudiosCreativity – improving Mental Health

Chilli StudiosThe Blackfriars CentreNewbridge StreetNE1 2TQ

0191 209 4058

web: chillistudios.co.ukemail: info@chillistudios.co.uk

/ChilliStudios

@ChilliStudios

@ChilliStudios

Brochure designed by Craig Thompson, a member volunteer

“I think [Chilli Studios] is an incredibly important resource for people…coming to terms with the real deficits imposed on them by their mental health problems. Its importance is even greater today as the health budget is shrinking and…in my opinion it provides a unique range of support…and brings in an important but often overlooked part in recovery”

Dr Sankalpa Basu (Consultant Psychiatrist, NTW NHS Foundation Trust)

“Chilli Studios has

progressed from being an

idea, a pipe-dream if you

like, to a successful, popular

and now essential service

for the people of

Newcastle and Gateshead.

It was evident from the start

that we were on to something

special, practising a sort of

alchemy that turned the

prosaic into the

life-enhancing, going far

above and beyond the notion

of a mere studio, to

something living and vibrant

The socio-economic climate,

austerity and welfare reform in

mental health do not

engender much stability in

the lives of service users, and

it could be argued, impede

notions of recovery or

progression. This backdrop

makes Chilli Studios all the

more vital and special,

bringing enjoyment to users’

lives, a place to be and

belong and an environment in

which to develop and

flourish.”

Alisdair Cameron (Chairman, Chilli Studios)

S E E I N G T H E W H O L E P I C T U R E . . .

ABOUT US

Chilli Studios is a registered charity, under our original title of Newcastle and Gateshead Art Studio (NAGAS). We provide support to those who are experiencing, or at risk of experiencing a wide range of diagnosed mental health problems, or social exclusion within their communities.

We assist members in developing skills in a wide range of creative based activities, these include: Drawing, Painting, Ceramics, Sculpture, Photography, Digital Media, Printmaking, Glasswork, Textiles, Creative Writing, General Arts and Crafts as well Music. Members are given the freedom to work independently in the studio or join any of our structured workshops which are delivered weekly.

Referrals come from a wide range of areas including Social Workers, Carers, Community Psychiatric Nurses, Occupational Therapists, Doctors and Support Workers. Each member is required to complete a form which gives staff the essential information required to facilitate a safe and well informed working space. This information is stored on a secure database and is updated regularly.

Additional activities and events which are facilitated by NAGAS include: Regular exhibitions in local galleries, culturally relevant field trips, information sharing sessions, quarterly newsletters and monthly members meetings which greatly influences the direction of our work.

Since our humble beginnings in 2006 our membership has grown to excess of 500 individuals with 189 recorded as active over last year.

We are based in the Ouseburn area of Newcastle and offer numerous artistic spaces (floor space 240m²)

All the staff team have an extensive experience of working within, or personal experience of the mental health sector. To further support our offer we also currently have 6 sessional artists, many volunteers and 2 doctoral researchers engaged.

Our board currently consists of 8 trustees with very strong representation from professionals working in key areas; within Senior Management, Service User Involvement, Influencing Mental Health Policy and Best Practice, Legal Practice, Personnel Management, Arts Development and Education.

BIG LOTTERY

Thanks to the brilliant support from The Big Lottery, Chilli Studios has now started a three year program running until April 2018 entitled ‘Create to Change’.

Our new and exciting program of activity was designed following the in-depth evaluation from Victoria Armstrong, doctoral researcher at Durham University which clearly identified the areas we will now seek to develop. Furthermore it endorsed our existing Engagement, Participation and Development outcome model whilst assisting us in identifying the now final Achievement outcome.

The new Create to Change programme will be:

› Innovative and inspiring

› Engage those identified most in need not yet fully engaged

› Provide a safe and friendly space with structured buddying system.

› Offer an even broader range of creative disciplines

› Further nurture skills and support personal progression

› Promote new sustainable projects

› Seek new positive partnerships

› Facilitate real achievements based on individual goal setting

Along with this new programme we have a new name and logo.

WHY RE-BRAND?

Chilli Studios has decided to take the bold step of re-branding with the start of ‘Create to Change’. As you will see we have a focus around making real achievements happen and making positive changes that are innovative and inspiring. Therefore we felt a change was right, and we hope we have struck a balance; retaining our positive identity whilst being a title that can be transferable into exciting enterprise.

We provide a clear pathway of recovery for those suffering the effects of, or at riskof experiencing deterioration in their mental health. Central to all our work is a 4 step process

EPDA MODEL

ENGAGEMENT ENGAGING NEW REFERRALS AS WELL AS OUTWARD FACING ENGAGEMENT WITH WIDER COMMUNITY.

DEVELOPMENT REALIZING AND PROGRESSING THE POTENTIAL FOR INDIVIDUALS AND THE ORGANISATION.

3

2

1

PARTICIPATION MAKING AN ENVIRONMENT IN WHICH CREATIVE PRACTICE CAN HAPPEN.

Chilli Studios believes in creating an environment where positive change can happen. These achievements may appear minor in some cases and grand in others, however we acknowledge all are equally impressive, when put in perspective of the person. With these Achievements in mind we have identified an opportunity for developing a mutually supportive model for new business ventures. This proposed model will take the form of a new enterprise called ‘Chilli Seed’

ACHIEVEMENT MEASURING PROGRESSION AND CELEBRATING SUCCESS

Achievement: A thing done successfully with effort, skill, or courage despite obstacles.

4

SEED - the beginning of something which continues to develop or grow

With support we want to make our members ideas grow and become real sustainable ventures. In the following model we have planned a way of supporting our members into viable enterprises. Initially these ventures will remain under the wing of Chilli Seed until ready to register themselves. Along their journey towards reaching a sustainable and meaningful enterprise we have considered ways to support the person and enterprise. Managing external and internal expectation, as well as the threat of impending benefit sanctions. These pose real threats to mental health deterioration and current options do not seem to fit the needs of our membership.

Confidence and Motivation - These will have been nurtured through earlier described EPDA model.

Benefit trap -Ensuring members are volunteering within the accepted parameters of the benefit agencies until ready to take appropriate steps to self-employment status.

Stress -Emotional support will continue to be available from the same people and organisation that has nurtured the confidence and self-belief.

Capital investment - Assistance will be given in sourcing funding from grant bodies (for example Arts Council), additionally any generated income from the volunteer will go into Chilli seed as ring-fenced under the volunteers name. This ‘trust fund’ can be reinvested in material and equipment for the venture at any time by volunteer.

Environment/base - Enterprises can remain within the Chilli Studios environment until independence.

Financial management -Support will be offered through Chilli Seed’s ownmanagement structures.

Business Support - Chilli Seed’s management will be expected to source training from external parties.

Independence and funding - The ring fenced income will be available via an application to the ‘eligibility grant’ at the independent stage

MODEL -Key issues addressed

8 Asked to join board

Any e

arni

ngs a

bove

per

mitt

ed b

ack

into

trus

t >>

MEM

BER WITH SKILLS

IDEA

VIABILITY

CHILLI SEED BUSINESS SET UP

8 Asked to join board

7 Chilli Seed Grant

VOLUNTEER FOR CHILLI SEED BUSINESS

PERMITTED EARNINGS FOR CHILLI SEED BUSINESS

< £

< £

< £

< £

< £ <

£

< £

< £ <

£

VIABLE BUSINESS IDEA

INDEPENDENT CREATIVE VENTURE ESTABLISHED

Chilli Seed Model

1

2

3

4

5

6

6

10% Management Fee

CHILLI SEED

Income (Any earnings above permitted back into trust - welfare status protected)

The model is still in its infancy and we would like to take this opportunity to invite others with the expertise, knowledge and capacity to support Chilli Studios make the dream a reality.

CHILLI IDEAS

As you can see, the Chilli Bees are hard at work developing their creative ideas into real-life enterprises in order to further engage with the wider community and to generate income for Chilli Studios.

Chilli Bizaar is a small retail unit which we will be using as a gallery space to showcase service-user artwork. We are also looking into providing hollistic therapies and community outreach in this space.

Of course, at the heart of all of our ideas is the service-user, where we strive together to position their needs and wishes centrally within the development of future opportunities

Charitable grants (£125,000)

Members own contributions (£10,984)

Local Authority grant aid (£1,018)

External Donation (£940)

Sales of artwork (£188)

Bank interest (£41)

Health Authority grant aid (£0)

“Around the world mental health research has simply not been a priority. In the UK, this is epitomised by two figures: 5.5% and 1/3 of a penny.

(2015 MQ: Transforming Mental Health)

5.5% - The percentage

of UK research funding

dedicated to mental

health.

23% of the UK population

are affected by mental

health problems at some

point each year and the

economic and social cost

of mental health in England

is £105 billion – yet only

5.5% of UK research is

dedicated to the area.

1/3 of a penny - The

amount given by the

public to mental health

research for every pound

spent by the

Government, compared

to £2.75 for cancer.

In contrast to the other

major health conditions,

public funding of mental

health research is

virtually non-existent.

For every £1 the

government spends on

cancer research, the

general public invests

£2.75. For heart and

circulatory problems it's

£1.35. For mental health

research the figure is 0.3p,

that’s a 1/3 of a penny.”

So why invest in mental health prevention?

LET’S LOOK AT SOME FACTS

In 2013 the average cost of one ‘day case in-patients’ was £693 (DOH, November 2013)

Chilli Studios provides 7hrs provision for £22

Chilli Studios Funding Distribution (2013-14)

“4% of total health care budget is spent on all forms of prevention; mental health prevention receives 0.16% of total budget.”

(Mind, 2015)

“Since 2010 the mental health budget has fallen 8.25%. Community teams have seen 4% cut, while referral rates are up 20%.”

(Royal college of Psychiatrists, 2015)

WAYS IN WHICH TO SUPPORT CHILLI STUDIOS

There are many ways to support the work that we do, the first step is to become a Friend of Chilli Studio, this lets us know you wish to be kept updated with electronic mail (quarterly) about our exhibitions, events etc. Also it allows you to arrange a suitable time to pop in for a chat and look round.

Once becoming a Friend of Chilli Studios you may wish to support our work by:

• Offering advice

• Offering support in kind

• Sharing information, opportunities, networks

• Providing free or reduced rates for materials and or equipment

• Promoting our work

• Utilizing our schemes like ‘art for hire’

• Working in partnership with Chilli Studios and Chilli Seed ventures

• Becoming involved by requesting a seat on our board

• Offering financial support

As a Friend of Chilli Studios we wish to offer back through our service:

• Promote your generous support to the level you request internally and

externally

• Share our good news stories with you and your organisation

• Offer workshops to individuals and groups in a vast range of

creative activities

• Provide a range of ‘art for hire’ as well as art gifts to say thank you

• Make available the opportunity for having bespoke commissioned art

work

“Visiting the Newcastle and Gateshead Arts Studios (NAGAS) was hugely inspirational in terms of how our grants impact communities’ lives in a positive way. Through using art as a platform this organisation has been able to reach out to people experiencing mental health problems”

“Having the opportunity to see this project in action has been so refreshing, in terms of seeing the difference our funding makes to those most in need. I gained first hand experience of how this project has had a positive impact on service users’ lives”

“NAGAS has developed strong links with other organisations and demonstrates the ethos of working in partnership with other groups to provide the best possible service to assist clients to develop coping mechanisms and a range of artistic skills. I thoroughly enjoyed taking part in their lino printing session and talking with the group.”

Some positive closing words from the Big Lottery Fund...

Corporate Assistants (BIG Lottery Fund, 2015)