Budding Vincent Van Goghs and Mary Cassatts from Sheffield Health and Social Care's NHS Foundation Trust worked with Sheffield Museums Trust to create an art project currently on show at the Graves Gallery.

Over the summer 10 service users and members of staff from the Forest Close Unit (a mental health inpatient rehabilitation unit for adults living in Sheffield) visited the gallery, on Surrey Street, for some inspiration to help them create their own polystyrene and lino prints.

The project, which was been funded by the Ampersand Foundation – a UK grant-awarding trust that gives exclusively to the visual arts – ran over five weeks with exclusive workshops at the gallery lead by artist Sarah Jane Palmer. Those who took part gained hands on experience and received support which they then took back to the Forest Close unit.

Cheryl Bowen, Community Engagement Coordinator at Sheffield Museums, collected the work produced and collated them in to two display cases at the Graves Gallery

On 23 November five staff and service users from Forest Close were the guests of honour for an official unveiling ceremony.

Soo Boswell, Arts in Health Coordinator for SHSC, said:

“Taking time to create art work can have some excellent benefits for mental health. I am proud that we were part of this project and I would like to thank Sheffield Museums and the Ampersand Foundation for working with us on this project.

“We are in discussions with Sheffield Museums to look at other opportunities for future joint working.”