Earlier this year Counterpoints Arts was commissioned by The Baring Foundation to write the latest in a series of research reports about arts and mental health, this time looking at the provision for refugees and asylum seekers.
Creatively Minded and Refugees – Arts, refugees and mental health was launched during Refugee Week.
The report features case studies of 12 organisations running arts programmes for refugees and asylum seekers that have a focus on mental health, along with some key learning and suggestions for further research.
A digital version of the report is available to read on the Baring Foundation website
As the report states, the mental health of refugees is a critical public health issue. Research shows that refugees often experience high levels of stress, trauma, and mental health issues related to their displacement and resettlement experiences.
According to the Refugee Council in England, 61% of asylum seekers experience serious mental illness and they are five times more likely to have mental health needs than the UK population.
There are a range of factors that can contribute to mental health challenges among refugees.
Initially, there may be the stress, loss, and grief associated with the experience of displacement, including the traumatic reasons people may have fled their home countries (such as war, violence, conflict, human rights abuses, torture, persecution, sexual violence, environmental disasters, and more).
Uncertainty about the future can compound these challenges and directly result in the development of long-term psychological effects and complex mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, paranoia, PTSD, survivor’s guilt, self-harm, and suicidal ideation, among others.
The day-to-day challenges faced by refugees and asylum seekers navigating the British asylum process are further intensified by the hostile environment and the ongoing cost- of-living crisis.
Creatively Minded and Refugees examines the role of art in promoting mental health and wellbeing among refugees by drawing on a range of organisations and projects that have utilised art as a means of generating therapeutic benefits to people from refugee backgrounds, including theatre, painting, sculpture, writing and other creative activities all across the UK and in some international contexts, too.
The report aims to:
– share models of practice
– demonstrate the use of different art forms
– increase the profile of this work
– better understand the value of these activities
– better understand what change might be happening because of this work
– understand what the possible longer term impact might be.
Organisations featured in the report are: Artcore; Art Refuge; Compass Collective; Displace Yourself Theatre; Freedom from Torture: Write to Life; Hear Me Out; Inini Initiative; Kazzum Arts; Maryhill Integration Network; Music Action International; Oasis and Together Productions.
Each was invited to write a short case study about their work in this context, and the report concludes with a range of learning and common themes.
This included the fact that many arts projects not only provide a creative outlet for refugees, but also offer additional support that may not be available elsewhere. These projects take on responsibilities that extend beyond their original remit, addressing individual needs and welfare issues where services may be backlogged or unavailable.
Many of the case studies also reported significant demand for their services, often resulting in the need to turn away clients or establish lengthy waiting lists. This practice is incongruent with their mission of inclusivity and the desire to serve all those in need.
Moreover, numerous case studies face ongoing challenges in accessing adequate funding, particularly long-term core funding. These struggles can hinder their ability to provide quality services and achieve their organisational goals.
Key areas identified for future work include developing common language and evaluation tools in relation to the arts, mental health and refugees. Approaches are needed that capture the benefits of the work without encroaching on people’s privacy or risking re-traumatising them.
There is also a demand for great networking and practice-sharing between organisations working in this field, both those for whom it is a main focus and those who see it more as an additional area to their main work.
We also believe there is great value in taking work to more mainstream venues, helping to normalise and de-stigmatise discussions around mental health as well as to advocate for more support and resources.
For Counterpoints Arts the production of this report has been an important development in our understanding of the arts, mental health and refugees. It is work that we are committed to continuing with partners across the country and internationally.
