We are pleased to announce a new drop-in class starting on Monday morning, 27th January 2020. This new venue offers us a room to ourselves, upstairs, with lots of natural daylight and comfy sofas. Despite the name of the place, (The Pig Bar and Grill), it has the vibe of an arty cafe during the daytime. Come and grab a coffee and join us. (There is a car park behind the cafe, accessed from Cornwall Street.)
The Pig Bar and Grill, 133 Armada Way PL1 1HX
Mondays, 10.00 am – 11.30 am upstairs. Starting 27th January 2020
Had such a lovely time! chilled and mindful, was just a nice way to spend a morning.
Katy.
Throughout January we are offering all of our mindful art sessions for just a small donation. In February we will be increasing our prices to £5:00 per session. So do come and try a taster class now and just pay what you can afford. Most people donate around £2 or £3 for a class but it really is up to you. Invest in your mental health and creativity now, and socialise with a small, friendly group of people.
You just need to go along and it will help you more than you may think trust me.
Ben.
What You Get
Two experienced, friendly teachers.
10 minutes of guided, mindful meditation.
A supportive, friendly atmosphere.
All art materials provided.
Laughter and friendship.
Enjoy being a part of Plymouth’s first and only mindful art club.
Really enjoyed the session at the Brook Inn today, highly recommended. I feel it’s a great start to the day.
Evie.
Why the change?
We have been running these classes for four months as volunteers, asking only for donations to cover our art materials. However, on 1st February 2020, Mindful Art Club will become a small community project supporting adults towards emotional, social, physical and mental health and well-being. In simple terms this means we’re going to get a bank account, run it like a small business, and offer it to workplaces, treatment services, training providers, residential homes and healthcare facilities. When viable we will reimburse ourselves for our time. We will also continue to run it as a weekly drop-in group at The Brook Inn and The Caffeine Club. (You don’t need to have a health issue to come to a drop-in class!)
I found the art club to be a welcoming environment that gave me an opportunity to listen and be listened to.
Hannah
Come along and try a taster class, and ‘pay what you feel’ before the price changes in February.
The first rule about Fight Club is you do not talk about Fight Club. The second rule about Fight Club is that it is not Mindful Art Club. You can talk about Mindful Art Club as much as you like!
Mindful Art Club is a supportive drop-in group; you can just turn up to our relaxed sessions in Plympton or Plymouth. It is hosted by local artists Peggy Melmoth and Emma Sprawson.
You don’t need any art experience or talent, it’s more about enjoying the moment, and the company.
We start with a friendly chat, then five minutes of guided mindfulness meditation, then we all order a coffee or a tea. Then we do an easy art project and chat. All art materials are provided. Previous art projects have been drawing patterns, mandalas, collage, paper cut-outs, making vision boards, copying famous paintings, making a street scene, drawing paisley, mindful colouring and making greeting cards.
The atmosphere is welcoming and supportive. If you find trying a new group a bit daunting then please be reassured that at the moment the groups are small, about six people, and very friendly and easy-going.
There is no need to book your place at the group, just turn up. We provide all the materials, you just need to buy yourself a coffee or other refreshment. We start at 10.00am and we ask for a small donation towards our costs, say £2, but this is optional. (However, in February 2020 we will be formally increasing the price of a session to £5.00 per time.) Each session lasts for an hour and a half.
Our unique combination of mindfulness and art has been found to increase mental calmness for those struggling with various mental health issues, and different physical challenges. However, you do not have to identify with any specific problem to come along to the group; many have found the club effective just for getting out of the house, having a giggle and making new friends. There are no membership fees or any obligation to be consistent about your attendance – come along when you can. The drop-in classes are flexible and informal.
Come and see us at Plymouth’s first and only Mindful Art Club!
Let us bring Mindful Art Club into your workplace, treatment service or social club!
Last week we enjoyed bringing Mindful Art Club to the TLC group at The Brook Inn. In this case TLC stands for Tea, Laughter and Company. Every Thursday afternoon at The Brook, in Plympton St Maurice, the landlord John, and his staff offer a free cup of tea, some biscuits and like-minded company to anyone who lives alone, or feels lonely. There is sometimes a guest speaker, a game of cards, or a sing along.
We offered this friendly crowd of around 25 people, a short mindfulness meditation and an easy art project; drawing zentangle patterns. Many people there had not tried drawing for years, and had never tried meditation.
That was really relaxing – I almost fell asleep!
A lady at TLC
There was a lot of chatting and laughter while everyone had a go at doing some artwork. We had so much fun, and were very surprised to receive a round of applause at the end of the session!
Emma and Peggy can bring Mindful Art Club to your treatment service, workplace or residential home. Drop in to one of their existing classes to find out about this new way to manage anxiety and stress.
Our new mindful art class will help you to chill out and socialise, even if you’re anxious.
Our new class is launching on Friday December 6th 2019.
Myself and my colleague Emma have been running weekly mindful art classes at The Brook Inn, Plympton on Wednesdays. People have been loving the mindful meditation, easy art projects and relaxed, sociable atmosphere. So, in response to popular demand we are now launching a class in central Plymouth, upstairs at The Caffeine Club on Friday mornings. All materials are supplied and we are running these introductory taster sessions on a ‘pay what you feel’ donation basis.
Every Friday, 10.00 am until 11.30am.
The Caffeine Club,
46 Tavistock Place,
Plymouth, PLY PL4
Grab a coffee and join in!
Keep up with our mindful adventures on our Facebook page.
Two ex-Broadreach staff, made redundant by the recent closure of the Plymouth treatment centre, have launched a Mindful Art Club at The Brook Inn, Plympton.
Artists Peggy Melmoth and Emma Sprawson were part of the support
team at Broadreach House Addiction Treatment Centre, Plymouth, offering a
number of activities to the resident clients, including arts and craft
workshops. When Broadreach House closed, due to a lack of funding, in July
2019, Emma and Peggy decided to bring their combined skills into the community
to offer mindful art as a way to manage anxiety and stress.
Peggy said, “Do you
know when you enjoyed art as a kid, without judging your ability or results? We
get together for 10 minutes of mindful meditation, then we have a coffee and a
chat, and do some art, just for fun.”
Emma commented, “At Broadreach I used
to run mindfulness sessions and art workshops for the clients. Then we had the
idea of combining both things at once.”
Emma is trained in counselling, mindfulness, acupuncture and
Indian head massage, and is a practicing artist offering multi-media artworks
and personalised commissions.
Peggy is qualified in clinical hypnotherapy and is also a
practicing artist offering watercolour paintings, personalised cartoon
portraits and logos for small business. She is currently studying for a
counselling qualification.
These easy-going art sessions aim to help you to deal with
anxiety, stress and daily worries, and they are run on a ‘pay what you feel’
donation basis.
Mindful Art Club is every Wednesday at 10am at The Brook Inn, 33
Longbrook Street, Plympton St Maurice, PL7 1NJ Plymouth, Devon. The sessions are
friendly and informal, so just grab a coffee and join in.
At a recent session there were eight people in the class, who described the experience as, relaxing, therapeutic, “me-time”, inspiring, colourful, energising, rejuvenating and “a good form of self-care.”
