The Arts, Refugees and Mental Health
About the Programme
This work began in 2023, when we were commissioned by The Baring Foundation to write Creatively Minded and Refugees – Arts, refugees and mental health, a report in their Creatively Minded series. Launched during Refugee Week, the report brought together case studies from 12 organisations across the UK, highlighting how arts‑based practice can support mental health, reduce isolation, and create spaces of dignity and connection for people navigating the asylum and resettlement system.
Since then, this work has grown into a wider programme supported by The Baring Foundation and Rayne Foundation, that intersects with all areas of our practice. Alongside research, we have been building a national network of artists, organisations, mental‑health practitioners and lived‑experience leaders committed to strengthening care within arts and migration spaces. Through events, conversations, research and our Holding Space gatherings, we’ve created opportunities for shared learning, peer support, and sector‑wide reflection on what good practice looks like.
Tools and Resources
A key part of this programme has been developing practical tools for the sector. We offer guidance for organisations working with refugees and asylum seekers, helping them design spaces that are trauma‑aware, culturally sensitive, and forefront care and dignity. Key resources include:
The programme aims to build confidence, capacity and connection across the arts, refugee support and mental‑health sectors, making sure that creative spaces can be places of care, imagination and wellbeing for all.
Follow updates on our work via the Mental Health & Wellbeing tag on the Counterpoints Arts blog.
