Exploring mental health through the language of art – Poetry Without Words 2024

Our Bristol Wellbeing College is delighted to announce the return of its annual art exhibition, Poetry Without Words, showcasing art created by our learners – view our online Poetry Without Words exhibition here.

Over six weeks, our learners explored their connection between creativity and wellbeing, experimenting with various artistic styles such as the College Art Movement, Asemic writing and CoBrA Movement to express their own voices through the language of art and creative writing. Poetry Without Words is inspired by the Poem Brut movement and run by poet, artist, publisher and former Bristol Wellbeing College learner, Paul Hawkins. 

Paul is keen that learners explore art without feeling constrained by rules or conventions, giving them a space to express themselves freely without judgment. 

Here’s what one of our learners, Caroline, said about the course: 

“I was really grateful to find a space that helped me get in touch with my creativity in the cold & dark winter months. We used a range of medium and looked at some really interesting artists, I enjoyed the process of drawing and making without feeling pressure around the outcome. I was really happy to find such a supportive space over January and February which is often a real struggle. It is also great to get our work exhibited, I am looking forward to seeing the work framed and on the wall.” 

Free mental health courses, workshops and activities with Bristol Wellbeing College  

Find out more about upcoming free Bristol Wellbeing College workshops here. Our sessions are free for adults in Bristol and cover a wide range of topics from wellbeing arts & crafts to sessions on coping with anxiety, managing loneliness, and building resilience.  

Header artwork: Numb Explosive by KJ.