Challenging Stigma Artist Commission, The Cultural Spring

BUDGET: £3500

Working with Public Health, South Tyneside, we've been working to deliver an arts and culture project, supporting a campaign to tackle stigma; to reduce discrimination, isolation, and support people to access appropriate services.

We've been working with participants, delivering taster sessions alongside artists in a range of artforms, allowing the group to try new creative approaches, increase their confidence, and socialise during sessions. The group have helped to inform this brief.

The next stage of this project is open to the existing participants and new people who want to get involved. We're looking to commission an artist or arts organisation to co-create an anti-stigma campaign with this group, leading to a final piece of artwork, a performance, a short film/animation or a relevant creative response.

This commission is open to any artform, and a number of themes have emerged through out work with the group:

Storytelling, including lived experiences of stigma

Social isolation

Mental health

This commission is particularly aimed at artists and arts organisations who have lived experience of stigma and genuinely want to work with people: artists who can listen deeply, build trust, invite participation and translate ideas into work with artistic strength and public impact.