18 Mar 2025
Last year, Coed Lleol partnered with ‘Arts in Health’ (Swansea Bay Health Board) to run a unique project combining art and nature to offer participants alternative methods for improving their mental and physical well-being. The small project followed a successful pilot and ran from April to December 2024. It was a resounding success with many participants reporting increased enjoyment, confidence, and a stronger connection to nature, which positively impacted their mental and physical wellbeing.
Artists from Swansea Print Workshop were invited to deliver art workshops in local woodlands alongside outdoor activity leaders to groups of adults and children in Swansea. The project targeted individuals in Swansea who were receiving or awaiting mental health support, as well as those from culturally marginalized communities (working with Race Council Cymru).
Martyn is one participant who benefited hugely from this project. He joined us for the 6-week adult mental health programme after struggling with his mental health for many years and not being in work. Martyn was referred to us by Hafal, a mental health charity supporting those affected by serious mental illness in Wales.
Even though Martyn had studied Art and Design at the age of 18 (for a BA degree and then a Masters), he enjoyed learning new techniques and crafts that he wouldn’t have thought to try.
“I think it's definitely helped boost my own creativity and ignited that spark again. I'm not spending so much of my time moping around and doing what I was doing a couple of months ago, just stuck in a cycle of being down and not knowing how to get out of it. I'm trying new things like I've been doing some creative work and I've been volunteering as well at a gallery. That started just before I came to the workshops, and then it's just got progressively better. I’m finding talking to people is a lot easier and having the thought to pop on shoes and go outside. There's plenty of places around by me in the Ammanford area that are woodland areas to go out for a walk in nature and feel a bit more connected.”
Since joining our programme, Martyn has become more outgoing, with a renewed sense of purpose and improved social confidence. The sessions helped him rediscover his creative process, and the welcoming, inclusive environment made it easier for him to connect with new people, easing his social anxiety and giving him more to talk about with friends and family.
This case study and other feedback we have received from participants shows the overwhelming positive impact of the project and we are pleased to announce that we can continue art in nature sessions in Swansea and Carmarthenshire thanks to Scottish Power funding.
Watch this video from our celebration event and see some of the artwork created in the woods by our participants - https://www.facebook.com/reel/1488513441823379
