A pioneering art initiative in England is bringing visibility to marginalised people, while aiding their recovery from substance use
A residency in Greater Manchester has been exploring how the arts can play a role in recovery from substance use.
Manchester’s Castlefield Gallery teamed up with Anew, a not-for-profit residential therapeutic community in Hyde, Greater Manchester, to discover how creative activities can aid recovery journeys.
The project was put together by Portraits of Recovery, a UK contemporary arts organisation working with people in recovery from substance use.
“Our ethos is about looking at arts and culture as part of people’s recovery journey, and about making social change through arts and culture,” said Dominic Pillai, curator of social engagement at Portraits of Recovery.
Pillai explained that the organisation has a philosophy called ‘recoverism’, which approaches recovery from a cultural and activist perspective.
“The recovery community is a marginalised community – there’s a lot of stigma around it – so Portraits of Recovery is about visibility,” he said. “We are working with marginalised voices in society and the recovery community itself but the broader context is about breaking down barriers and creating inclusion.”
Works exhibited at Manchester’s Castlefield Gallery. Credit: Castlefield Gallery
In what is thought to be the UK’s first artist residency in a treatment and recovery centre, designer Joe Hartley made twice-weekly visits to Anew, collaborating with around 60 people.
Because of the fluid nature of Anew, Hartley worked with different people at different stages of recovery, across disciplines including ceramics and photography.
“In one of the early sessions, Joe did a bonding exercise where people were making teapots – as tea and tea-making are a big part of the recovery process,” explained Pillai. “To challenge people from getting too possessive or taking ownership, one person would make the body, pass it on, the next would make a handle, the next a spout. All the pots were made by everyone, not by one person,” said Pillai.
The broader context is about breaking down barriers and creating inclusion
“It can be bleak in the recovery process, but we wanted to make sure it was joyous, and that it helped create community and connection,” he said. People with lived experience of addiction often feel isolated, Pillai explained, “but art can bring people together, build community and give a renewed sense of purpose.”
“How we look at the world is through art and culture, and what that reflects back to us,” he said. “Art means many things to different people, and that’s no different for the recovery community either. We think it’s vital.”
The project was especially poignant for Hartley, who lost his younger brother to substance use four years ago. “It’s been a highly emotional but positive experience – to see that struggles with substance use don’t always end the same way,” he said.
Now, as the six-month residency draws to a close, the works created will be exhibited at Manchester’s Castlefield Gallery until 19 October.
Main image: Joe Hartley, centre, with two members of the Anew recovery community during a ceramics workshop. Credit: Anew recovery community
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