Inspiring Art by Inspirational People
Recognising the importance of giving the service users of BCHC's Learning Disabilities (LD) services the opportunity to share their wisdom and express their creativity, BCHC Charity are very proud to have funded the Book of Inspiration project using funding from the Arts & Culture in Health scheme.
The aim of the Book of Inspiration was to create a collection of artwork and written pieces produced by LD service users, to encourage them to reflect on their experiences and create pieces that are meaningful to them. The idea came from Clinical Psychologist Dr Liz Perryer, thanks to her Narrative Therapy training, and was named by a service user in Liz’s past NHS community Learning Disability role in Coventry.
The Book contains a variety of pieces of creative work, including examples of life experiences, achievements, things people have learnt, artwork, and poetry. The Book of Inspiration is a celebration of the things which are important to the service users, and a chance for them to share their knowledge, goals, and the things which have helped them with their peers. This is a great reflection of the fantastic work that the LD services do with service users.
17 service users contributed to the Book, most working within a Book of Inspiration Group that ran for 3 weekly sessions at Monyhull Church, while others worked with the Service User Group or one-to-one with members of the LD Team. They created works linked to what they enjoy and what is important to them, using creative resources funded by the Charity. The project helped service users to build confidence and feel valued, as well as to connect service users and others involved around shared experiences and shared parts of life that are important. One service user reported that working on the project “made me feel happy”, whilst another said they “felt proud and it was good”.
One piece, titled ‘The Power of Inclusion and Diversity’ speaks to the service user’s passion for creative writing, and the importance of representation within the entertainment industry. They write, "When I watch theatre, screenplay, and films, I can relate to the characters more if they have a learning disability or autism. Seeing a character like this on the big screen would make me feel happy, inspired, represented, and grateful”. Another piece featured a drawing of St Andrew’s football stadium, and the accompanying story shares how football has been a comfort to them throughout their life; “Football has helped me remain calm and cope with difficult situations in my life. As a football fan, you never change; you only become better.”
The Book launched at a celebration event at the MAC Birmingham in March 2024, which gave service users and their families and carers the chance to celebrate the contributions they have made, share their artwork or written piece with the group if they would like to, and receive a copy to keep. One service user was really happy to be able to take copy of the Book to share with a family member. Another service users' carer said: “I feel the Book Of Inspiration was a fantastic opportunity… From the [service user]’s experience it really helped boost her confidence skills and gave her something to look forward to. She felt really proud after presenting this and it was a lovely morning being able to celebrate her hard work.” The event also offered the opportunity for those attending to write down their thoughts and feelings after hearing the pieces read out by their authors.
Stacey Taylor, Charity Engagement and Communications Lead, attended the event and was touched by the works shared there. “It was genuinely inspiring to hear some of the pieces read aloud, as well as to hear the impact these pieces had on the other service users and their families and carers. It’s events like these, seeing the true impact of BCHC Charity’s work, that make my job such a rewarding one.”
Liz felt really proud of what had been achieved and appreciated that the Book had been professionally printed, funded by the charity. “The service users seemed really touched by the reflections and comments made by people attending the celebration following hearing their work.”