As Artist in Residence at The Horsfall with 42nd Street, I collaborated with three of their key peer support groups: RAYS, for young Black or Black heritage women and non-binary people aged 18–25; Nature Connection, for young people aged 16–25 looking to improve wellbeing through time in nature; and Jet 42, a weekly group for young Black and mixed-race men exploring mental health and emotional wellbeing.

My brief was to create visual artworks that reflected each group’s identity, values and presence within the 42nd Street building. I facilitated five creative sessions with RAYS and two with Nature Connection, using collage, text art and acrylic painting to help participants express their lived experience and cultural pride. The process was intentionally trauma-informed and co-created, supporting emotional regulation, confidence and reflection.

Participants described the sessions as therapeutic, joyful and calming – spaces where they could feel seen, heard and connected.
We co-created not just artworks but shared meaning, using art as a vehicle for trust, dialogue and cultural affirmation. The RAYS group co-designed a multilingual welcome sign now permanently installed at 42nd Street’s entrance, proudly affirming the diversity of those who use the space.

With Jet 42, I worked consultatively. Rather than take part in workshops, the group chose to commission a bespoke artwork that would reflect their collective identity and journey, reinforcing the importance of autonomy and representation on their own terms.

Throughout the residency, I applied tools and principles from my Myriad training,
particularly in planning inclusive sessions, managing group dynamics, and embedding emotional safety and access into every stage of delivery. Training on safeguarding, professional boundaries and anti-racist practice strengthened my confidence in holding space for complex conversations and lived experiences.

That training continues to inform my evolving practice as part of the global majority creative health workforce in Greater Manchester. These projects didn’t just produce artwork, they created moments of shared experience, cultural affirmation and peer connection, helping build inclusive, emotionally safe spaces where creativity supports mental health and identity.