A Space Between (ASB) is a London-based non-profit organisation which works to make the practice of art a powerful connector, widely accessible and integral to enhancing health for people of all ages. ASB works to support the wellbeing of both patients and staff in healthcare settings, and to mark the recent Creativity and Wellbeing Week 2022, ASB delivered 100 Creative Care Packs to the Royal Marsden Hospital, across both their Chelsea and Sutton Sites. The bags were handed out over the course of the week to hospital staff working night shifts, with the intent of encouraging night staff to carve out time for a much-needed creative pause during their busy shift. The packs included art materials, art-quality paper and a bespoke ASB booklet filled with therapeutic art resources, all contained within a sustainable cotton drawstring bag.
In keeping with the theme of this year’s Creativity and Wellbeing Week, ‘Get Creative, Get Outdoors’, the booklets inside the care packs were designed to centre around nature, plants and being outside. They contained a number of community-drawn colouring sheets, along with colouring artworks and guided creativity prompts kindly donated by Harriet Adkin, ASB’s Artist in Residence for the month of May. Harriet is a sustainable artist based in Kent, and she could not have been a better fit for this project, as her work focuses on the beauty of nature, and she is a strong believer in healing through connecting with the earth.
During Creativity and Wellbeing Week, Harriet also led a mindful creativity workshop with ASB’s elderly group, which was set outside in the community garden. Harriet took the group through a meditation and a series of creative mindfulness activities, using sticks and leaves as inspiration to create botanical artworks. Of working with ASB to give back in this way, Harriet says: “[it] has played a huge part in my journey as an artist. Witnessing the impact of art on one’s healing journey has inspired my art process. It has reaffirmed and inspired my own mission”.
