To launch our recent Women’s Art Exhibition, we hosted an evening of poetry, music and performance, so I wrote a poem about how we started Mindful Art Club. It is a parody of Will Smith’s, The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, called The Fresh Princesses of the South West.
I have a Substack page for my poetry; it’s like a blog, but with a newsletter that you can subscribe to. If you like this sort of thing please subscribe, so that I feel like I have an audience and can tie my self-worth to the number of subscribers I have! Yay. Thank you.
Also, if you visit my Substack page you will see a mini video of me performing the poem at our exhibition opening night!
Mindful Art Club exhibition celebrates a year of women’s recovery.
In May 2026, Mindful Art Club CIC welcomed visitors to Leadworks in Stonehouse for a moving exhibition featuring artwork created by women who have spent the past year taking part in weekly mindful art sessions across Plymouth.
Made possible through funding from the Livewell Foundation, the project supported women experiencing mental health challenges and recovering from substance misuse, providing safe, welcoming spaces where creativity became a pathway to healing, connection and self-expression.
Video One shows a brief walk around the exhibition, narrated by Peggy Melmoth, Co-founder of Mindful Art Club CIC. Featured artists include Ellen Wilton and Rachel Mullee. Collaborative works are Inspiring Women, Self Portraits, Handprints, and Mandala Plates.
More of the Mindful Art Club art exhibition. May 2026. Featured artists: Abi Bee, Peggy Melmoth, Yvette Moran. Collaborative art pieces: Dreamcatchers, Letters, and ‘Connection is Why We’re Here’.
Part Three: Featured artists: Sophie Deer, Rebecca Bee, Maile Mia Heart, Kerry Evans, Emma Sprawson. Collaborative piece: ‘Strong Women Quilt’. ‘.
If you’d like to join us at one of our free weekly art groups book yourself a session here: Mindful Art Club on Eventbrite. We also offer Mindful Paint and Sip evenings.
What happens when you give your busy mind a break and let the paintbrush flow? Join Peggy and Emma as they explore our beautiful new paint and sip venue, Steel Brew. As you paint, the analytical part of the brain quietens down and your creativity has the space to emerge.
A mindful night out at Steel Brew | 16 July
Our next Mindful Paint and Sip evening is coming to Steel Brew, at Royal William Yard in Stonehouse, Plymouth.
Alongside the painting and sipping there’ll be a check-in and a moment of mindfulness; those little things that give Mindful Art Club its unique warm, supportive atmosphere.
What We’re Painting
For our next session we’ll be painting the historic Firestone Arch at Royal William Yard; a stone portal with a stunning sea view.
Spaces are Limited
Reserve your seat today via the Mindful Art Club Eventbrite page and come discover what happens when you make some time for yourself to create.
The reduced price Early Bird tickets are available until Wednesday 1st July.
We also have a WhatsApp group for our Paint and Sip – it’s not a busy group giving notifications all the time, just a convenient way for you to get a heads-up next time we plan a painting evening. Join us here: Mindful Art Evenings
We first met Zoe Reilly when we were on a year-long Real Ideas business start-up programme. Zoe is an advocate for women and a campaigner for ending Violence Against Women and Girls. She was a Green Party candidate for Plympton Chaddlewood in the recent local elections. So she seemed like the perfect person to invite to speak at our launch party for our Women’s Art Exhibition at Leadworks.
Zoe took to the stage and delivered something that made the room go quiet, and listen. This poem is for every woman who’s been told to sit down, speak up, be quiet, stand up, and still got back up anyway. You are not broken. You are not behind. You are a phoenix, lying in wait.
Our women’s group meets weekly in Plymouth, at Greenspace, 30 Mutley Plain; a safe space for peer support, creativity, and connection. No pressure. No performance. Just real women, showing up for each other.
This is your final reminder that we are hosting a poetry gig and art exhibition opening party tonight Friday 15th May at Leadworks, 170 Rendle Street, Stonehouse. It’s from 7pm until 9pm, and it’s free! I’ve written a new poem for the occasion, and I’ll be singing a few songs with Abi Bee. Here’s a sneak preview:
Tonight is the Night!
Arrive from 7.00pm for drinks and mingling
Performances begin at 7.30pm
Exclusive first viewing of the exhibition
Music, poetry, comedy and live performance
A relaxed, welcoming atmosphere; no dress code, no formality
The evening features poet and Mindful Art Club co-founder Peggy Melmoth; therapist and Greenspace community hub leader Fiona Spicer; VAWG campaigner and poet Zoe Reilly; and local songwriter Abi Bee performing acoustic guitar and vocals.
There will also be original poetry read by the women who created it, a My Story segment; Plymouth women sharing their journeys of healing through mindful art – handmade pin badges by Yvette Moran, and information about local women’s services. Of course, you don’t have to be a woman to come along, so please invite your work colleagues, friends and family!
The exhibition runs from 15th–20th May. But the opening night is the night. This is the one.
A Year in the Making: Our Art Exhibition Opens This May
A year ago, a group of women walked through the doors of The Sunflower Women’s Centre not knowing quite what to expect. Some were on waiting lists for therapy. Some were navigating recovery. Some just needed somewhere to be.
What happened next is about to go on the walls.
The Exhibition
We are so proud to announce that our art exhibition opens at Leadworks in Stonehouse, Plymouth, on Friday, 15th May and runs until 20th May. Every piece on display was created by a Mindful Art Club participant, as part of a twelve-month project funded by the Livewell Foundation, in partnership with Greenspace Community Hub, Gifted Women, Sunflower Women’s Centre and Leadworks Projects CIC.
This is not just an art exhibition. It is proof of what happens when women feel safe enough to create.
Come to the Opening Night
We would love you to join us for a very special free opening night on Friday, 15th May. Doors open at 7 pm, with performances beginning at 7.30 pm.
The evening includes live acoustic music from local songwriter Abi Bee, poetry from established female poets and newcomers to the scene, and personal stories from Plymouth women about how mindful art has helped them through some of life’s hardest chapters.
There will be plenty of time to mingle, browse the exhibition and meet the artists themselves.
In Their Own Words
Ellen Wilton, who attended our weekly sessions, put it better than we ever could:
“I’ve been fighting for therapy for years. Some things in life are only meant to be said to a professional, like a therapist. So while I was on a waiting list, I showed up at Mindful Art Club. I cried. I identified with people. I got the warmest welcome from Emma and Peggy. I left having not felt the one thing I thought I would encounter: judgement. My life has improved in so many ways because of mindful art.”
How to Come Along
The opening night is free. If you would like to come, please register via Eventbrite so we know to expect you. Any donations on Eventbrite, or on the night, go directly towards supporting more people in Plymouth through our ongoing programme.
Leadworks, 170 Rendle Street, Stonehouse, PL1 1TP. Doors open 7 pm, performances from 7.30pm.
A Mindful Paint and Sip evening is coming to Olive & Twist, 9 Old Town Street, Plymouth, and this isn’t your average paint night.
Alongside the painting and sipping there’ll be a check-in and a moment of mindfulness – the extra elements that give Mindful Art Club its unusually warm, supportive atmosphere. Think less artistry, more community. For our first session, we’ll be painting Smeaton’s Tower – an iconic symbol of our seaside home. Visit Eventbrite now for a limited number of reduced price tickets.
What We’re Painting
For our first session, we’ll be painting Smeaton’s Tower – the much-loved landmark on Plymouth Hoe, and a symbol of the city that many of us call home. It feels like the perfect subject for a first gathering: something local, recognisable, and a little bit iconic.
Spaces are Limited
If this sounds like your kind of evening, reserve your place today.
The reduced price Founding Member ticket sales end on April 22nd 2026.
We also have a WhatsApp group for our Paint and Sip – it’s not a busy group giving notifications all the time, just a way for us to let you know when the next painting evening is happening. Join us here: Mindful Art Evenings
Click here to join Mindful Art Club on WhatsApp, and we’ll send you the latest updates directly to your phone. We treat our members to special offers, promotions, wellbeing tips and colouring printables.
If you don’t like what you see there’s no pressure to stay: but if you’re curious about creativity and mental health you won’t want to miss a thing!
You could also grab your free Mindful Morning Starter Kit today, and enjoy a calmer, more creative tomorrow! ☀️
Recently, our co-founder Emma had the honour of speaking at the Goodness of Plymouth event at the University of Plymouth. It was a powerful opportunity to reflect on her own journey and to share the heart of what Mindful Art Club is really about: connection, creativity, and community as antidotes to loneliness and despair.
Emma’s talk centred on a simple but urgent truth, that loneliness is a public health emergency. In a world increasingly shaped by division, technology, and disconnection, many of us are quietly struggling. But, as Emma reminded us, the solution does not have to be complicated.
“The solution to this is simple: connection.”
Voice, Identity, and Community
Emma spoke openly about arriving at a treatment centre in Plymouth in 1999, a turning point that marked the beginning of profound change. After years of struggling with feelings of not being “good enough,” Emma thought she had found belonging for the first time in spaces where people came together through music, movement, and drug use. But, what initially felt like freedom, however, eventually led into a ten-year nightmare of addiction, isolation, and despair.
Yet this story is not one of defeat, it is one of rediscovering voice and identity through community.
Through recovery, Emma found herself drawn to working alongside others, supporting addicts to get clean and rebuild their lives. That journey eventually led to the creation of Mindful Art Club, co-founded with Peggy, rooted in the belief that healing happens best when we do it together.
Why Openness Is Strength
A central theme of Emma’s talk was the importance of honesty and vulnerability. Too often, we are taught to hide the parts of ourselves that feel messy, painful, or shameful. But Emma challenged this idea directly.
“Being open about what is going on for us shows strength and creates solidarity.”
The more open we are, the less we hide — and the more space we create for trust, compassion, and real connection. When people talk, listen, and are truly heard, something shifts. Shame loosens its grip. Isolation softens. Belonging becomes possible.
A Message of Hope
Emma closed her talk with a message that felt both grounded and hopeful. Not only is it possible to overcome challenges such as addiction, loneliness, and poor mental health, the process can be fun and fulfilling.
The power of what we do lies in its simplicity. When people are invited to share how they feel, to create together, and to be met without judgement, something remarkable happens. People relax. Smiles appear. Burdens lift.
“We were less locked, less burdened. And it was utterly remarkable.”
At Mindful Art Club, we believe deeply in this work. Art can bring communities together. Conversation can change lives. And connection – real, human connection, can help us move from isolation to belonging.
Be sure to like and subscribe to our new YouTube channel and check out our recent videos for more like this! Subscribe so you never miss an episode, and get ready to enjoy our fun tips and tools for managing anxiety with mindful art.
And so the countdown begins! C’mon and peek behind each little door! Inside you’ll find bite-sized creative surprises – quirky YouTube shorts, mini mindful moments, and original artwork by Peggy and Emma. Think of it as your daily December excuse to pause, doodle, breathe, or just smile a little. No rules, no pressure, just a cheerful sprinkle of art and calm to brighten the festive countdown.
