March 2023: The project is now complete. The participants of the Breathing Space Project have contributed to a printed outcome that documents and celebrates the project with interactive mindfulness activities for anyone to try. These activities are relevant for anyone who would like to take time for themselves, improve their personal wellbeing and reconnect with creativity.

Download your free copy of the zine here.

A hard copy of the zine is available to collect from the following libraries in the borough – Eltham Library, Abbey Wood Library, Blackheath Library, Charlton House Library, Coldharbour Library, Greenwich Centre Library, New Eltham Library, Plumstead Library, Slade Centre Library, Thamesmead Library, West Greenwich Library, Woolwich Centre Library.

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Breathing Space is a project for carers of any age in Eltham funded through the Innovation Grant by Royal Borough of Greenwich. Led by Eltham Arts, the sessions took place at Eltham Library in September 2022 – Dec 2022. 

During and post pandemic, social isolation has been greater than normal. The aim of the project is to empower local carers to express themselves, reflect on their connection with others, feel respected and valued and develop strategies for self-care to positively influence their wellbeing.

Through creative weekly sessions we will foster a playful and safe space for listening and honest conversation to take place to build respect and trust. We will explore our emotions and ways of sharing our feelings and build a breathing space to destress. In turn, we will recognise personal qualities, strengths and interests, all contributing to a sense of wellbeing and self-worth.

Improving and developing our physical health and wellbeing has lifelong benefits. How we process and respond to our experiences affects our mental health and emotional wellbeing. We will learn what wellbeing is and why it is important to look after ourselves. Through different artforms we will experiment, notice and reflect to appreciate the richness of the extraordinary within the ordinary.

At Eltham Arts we design projects to ensure that anyone in the community can access irrespective of their age or background.  Our artists have an extensive skill set and experience working in a range of community settings with a variety of groups in both co-creation and collaboration.

Participants of Breathing Space will contribute to a printed outcome that not only promotes the group to other carers but documents and celebrates the project with interactive activities for other carers to improve mental health far and wide in the borough.

Our wellbeing sessions

Shermaine Slocombe led some lovely session about breathing, visualizations, collaborative drawing and mark making. Fiona Gulec led a wonderful session on sounds healing and musical vibrations. We also paid a visit to Prince Philip Maritime Museum collection centre to inspire ourselves from the beautiful items from the collection. We had poet Arji Manuelpillai who delivered a wonderful poetry session and artist Diana Jones who showed us the use of shadow puppetry to boost our wellbeing. She demonstrated how we can create shadow puppets using the materials and resources around us.

Breathing Space zine launch event

Meet our creative team on this project

Project Partner – Eltham Library and Artist Shermaine Slocombe

Pragya Kumar – Project Manager

She will also co-facilitate workshops with our other practitioners. She is a visual artist with more than 10 years’ experience in participatory and community arts. She has been associated with Eltham Arts for the past eight years and have successfully delivered projects to connect the community, increase social engagement and provide opportunities for self-expression. Read more …

Shermaine Slocombe – Lead Practitioner

She is a multi-disciplinary participatory artist and educator, experienced in engaging young people in ambitious creative learning projects. Read more …

Diana Jones – Shadow puppet artist and lantern maker

Diana is our Lead Artist on this project. After completing a degree in Fine Art in Sunderland, Di Jones moved to London and embarked on a freelance career in community and celebratory arts which took her the length and breadth of Britain. Read More …

Fiona Gulec – Reiki Healer

Fiona is a Reiki Master Healer and Reiki teacher. She has successfully been helping people to heal physically and mentally for over many years. Read more ….

Arji Manuelpillai – Poet

For over 15 years he has worked with community arts projects nationally and internationally. In everywhere from prisons and Immigration Removal centres to schools and youth clubs I have continued to push creativity and self expression. Read more ….

Project funded through Innovation Grants 2022 from Royal Borough of Greenwich.