MEGHAN O'MALLEY
The Ceramic Life Plaques Project
During my time as the Creative Arts Manager for our in-house Arts Department 'Arthouse' at Single Homeless Project, Arthouse was awarded a grant from Hospice UK’s Dying Matters Community Grant Programme.
ArtHouse is one of four organisations to be awarded a grant from Hospice UK’s Dying Matters Community Grant Programme. Their mission is to break the stigma, challenge preconceptions and normalise public openness around dying.
​
With the Dying Matters Community Grant, Arthouse launched the ‘Ceramics Life Plaques Project’ for Single Homeless Project Service Users.
​
The project was designed to open conversations with service users around difficult topics such as grief and death, offering staff and service users the tools and language to feel confident to do so.
​
Death is sadly prevalent within homeless services and also within service users' lives. I recognised that although many of our service users have experienced multiple loses in their lifetime, they may not have had a supported environment in which to process this loss.
With an awareness of the therapeutic benefit engaging in art can offer, I designed a course that provides a safe space to explore conversations around death. By challenging our habits of avoiding the topic, we will change the narrative, and celebrate and commemorate loved ones through the medium of ceramics.
The workshops showed us that grief is universal. Using art as a tool to normalise conversations around it has allowed us to think outside of our own borders around this topic and together break down the barriers and taboos that can lead to us to suppressing the powerful emotions grief can provoke.
The course created an inclusive space to discuss the fragility of life with participants, encourage active reflection and open discussion about legacy.
​
Arthouse partnered with Ceramicist Fiona Veacock to support artistic development and teach new skills. Alongside partnering with Anthropologists and SHP in-house psycho-therapist, Laura.
​
The course gave people a space to learn, build relationships and confidence in a supportive, therapeutic environment, whilst also giving socially excluded people the opportunity to have a voice and showcase their talent.
​
ArtHouse delivered three 9-week courses over four months, culminating with an exhibition at Greenwich University to celebrate the participant’s work.
Growth by Ellie
The design of my plaque is about growth.
It relates to my recovery from drug addiction and the growth I have made since I stopped.
This piece cracked in the kiln; howver, I have chosen to still show it as this represents the present. The fact that no matter how much shit life throws at you, you can still come out the other side and be as beautiful even if you get scars.
Mourning/Morning by Camilla
My grandmother died in July 2022. My plaque commemorates her death and is a gift for my mum to put in her garden. Nature and art can heal. Each morning moves us through mourning.
Art and Elephants by Moriarty
When it came to deciding what to do for my final piece, I had no idea of what to do. So, I decided to look through my small art book and I found 2 drawings I did years ago of my grandfather (who himself was an artist) and his favourite animal the elephant.
It was my grandfather and my mother (his daughter as well as an artist herself) that encouraged me to pursue art as well as my own enjoyment of comic books, fantasy and Japanese art that I think at the time of creating this plaque makes for an everlasting nod and thank you to my grandfather, and how it has allowed me to go on to create.
Death Festival - Brighton 2023
National Centre for Creative Health
The National Centre for Creative Health is a registered Charity. They are supported by a UK-wide Advisory Group. Creative Health Champions are a network of senior leaders representing NHS Trusts, Local Authorities, Health and Wellbeing Boards and Integrated Care Systems in England. The National Centre for Creative Health inform policies and play a pivotal role in promoting collaboration to enable creative health to become integral to health and social care and wider systems. Arthouse were invited to talk through the 'Ceramic Life Plaques Project' at the 'NCCH - End Of Life Care and Bereavement Round Table' online with other senior leaders and artists. The aim of the review was to discuss creative approaches that are used in end of life care to improve wellbeing and quality of life, helping people to process and express emotion and maintain human connection.
Remembrance In Relief Exhibition and Ceramic Life Plaque Project Workshops
