Tag: News

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[Video] Creativity, Confidence and Connection

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’. ‘.

Follow Emma Sprawson art: https://www.instagram.com/emmaspraw

Visit Emma Sprawson’s website; Emma is an illustrator who specialises in naive art.

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.

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Early Bird Discount for Mindful Paint & Sip Tickets

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.

Get Tickets

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

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Art Exhibition Showcases Poetry Readings

Published in The Plymouth Herald, Saturday 9th May

Plymouth women’s art exhibition celebrates a year of creativity and recovery

Free opening night at Stonehouse venue promises music, poetry and personal stories

A Plymouth social enterprise is set to open a landmark art exhibition this May, celebrating a year of mindful creativity with women on the road to recovery from mental health challenges and substance misuse.

Mindful Art Club CIC, funded by the Livewell Foundation, has spent the past twelve months delivering weekly art sessions in partnership with Greenspace Community Hub, Gifted Women, Sunflower Women’s Centre and Leadworks Projects CIC. The resulting exhibition, featuring work created entirely by participants, opens at Leadworks in Stonehouse on Friday, May 15th and runs until May 20th.

The free opening night on Friday, May 15th, from 7pm, promises an evening of entertainment including 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 art has helped them through adversity.

Peggy Melmoth, co-founder and director of Mindful Art Club CIC, said: “This exhibition is the culmination of something really special. When we began these sessions a year ago, we hoped art might open a few doors for the women who came along. What we’ve seen has gone far beyond that: courage, honesty, and some genuinely beautiful work. We can’t wait to share it with Plymouth.”

Ellen Wilton, who attended the weekly sessions, said: “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: judgment. My life has improved in so many ways because of mindful art.”

The opening night is free to attend, with doors opening at 7 pm and performances beginning at 7.30 pm. Visitors are invited to browse the exhibition, meet the artists and hear directly from the women whose work is on display.

Donations on the night will go towards supporting more people in Plymouth through Mindful Art Club’s ongoing programme.

Don’t miss our next event: Follow us on Eventbrite.

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She Read This Poem, and it Just Went Quiet

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.

Follow Mindful Art Club on Eventbrite to find out when and where our next sessions are happening near you.

Survival to Sovereignty – Zoe Reilly

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It’s Time to Party! (But in a Mindful, Creative Way.)

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.

https://www.leadworksprojects.com

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.

Reserve your free place on Eventbrite →

It’s free. Donations on the night are welcome and go directly to supporting people in Plymouth on their journey toward recovery.

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A Year in the Making: Our Art Exhibition Opens This May

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.

Register Here

We cannot wait to see you there.

Peggy and Emma

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You can also be a part of this project by coming along to our women’s group on Fridays at 1.00pm at Greenspace, 30 Mutley Plain.

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Mindful Paint and Sip Tickets Now on Sale

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.

Get Tickets

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

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Learn How to Calm Your Mind: Anytime, Anywhere.

Mindful Art Club WhatsApp Channel.

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! ☀️

Stop Anxiety Now!
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When Music Meets Mindfulness

Last weekend’s Union Street Party was awesome: The Four Horsemen rocked the WonderZoo stage while the street filled with music, food stalls, craft stalls, creativity and community vibes. Mindful Art Club directors, volunteers, and participants were spotted “throwing some shapes” among the crowds.

On Sunday September 21st Stonehouse hosted its 16th annual street party, drawing thousands of visitors to join the event. With the road closed from the Octagon to the Aldi car park, the street came alive with performances, food, and family-friendly fun.

Nudge Community Builders is a community organisation in Plymouth that works to bring life back to Union Street by rescuing neglected buildings, creating welcoming spaces, and supporting local people and businesses. They do this by buying and leasing properties for community use, running events and street celebrations, and enabling local ownership through community shares. Their focus is on strengthening the local economy by spending and recruiting locally, encouraging creativity and resilience, and caring for the history and environment of the area. At heart, they aim to build a street that local people are proud of and the wider world loves again.

Mindfulness Through Music

Experiencing live music can be a powerful way to practice mindfulness, helping you stay present, sharpen focus, and connect with others. Research shows these effects can ease stress and shift your state of mind in ways that support better mental health. By actively engaging with the performance and sharing the moment with those around you, you can tap into music’s emotional and physical influence to cultivate calm and deepen self-awareness.

Missed the Party?

Follow our new YouTube channel to catch more moments where art, music, and mindfulness come together.

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Mindful Art Club Launches New YouTube Channel: First Video Celebrates a Local Hero

We’re excited to announce the launch of the Mindful Art Club YouTube channel—a new space where we’ll share inspiring stories, creative moments, and community highlights.

In our very first video short, co-founder Peggy Melmoth visits The Box Museum in Plymouth and catches up with TV producer and author Matthew Tiller, whose book tells the powerful story of Jack Leslie—a pioneering Black footballer whose legacy is finally being recognised.

Jack Leslie, once denied the chance to play for England because of the colour of his skin, is now being honoured through the amazing work of the Jack Leslie Campaign. Matt Tiller’s book is a heartfelt tribute to a true local legend and a vivid portrait of lower league football in the interwar years.

As a Plymouth-based organisation, this story resonates deeply with us. To help raise awareness in a creative and mindful way, we’ve created a free Jack Leslie colouring page—a relaxing activity for all ages that celebrates this inspirational story.

[Download the colouring page here]
Watch the YouTube Short here
Learn more at the Jack Leslie Campaign website

Subscribe to our channel and join us on this new journey of mindful creativity and community connection!

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