Creative4Life

“The C4L arts sessions I attended were special because I got to know and care for many of the other participants in the group and felt wanted, that I belonged somewhere.”

Creative 4 Life is our flagship programme for adults living with mental health issues.

  • Weekly online or in-person workshops in a variety of art forms such as visual arts, graffiti, creative writing, drama, sculpture, poetry, music and more!
  • Trips out to events, galleries and live performances in the local area and across London for weekly workshop participants 
  • Outreach projects with partner organisations such as Mind, NELFT and other local  Barking & Dagenham charities and voluntary sector organisations   
  • Social events and festivals, offering taster activities such as our annual WinterFest

Creative 4 Life’s fun and accessible multi-arts activities support adults who are feeling isolated, lonely or are struggling with their mental health and wellbeing. Led by a team of friendly and experienced artists, participants can have a go at trying a new art form, learning new skills and socialising with others in a welcoming space.

All of our sessions are free to attend.

If you or someone you know could benefit from coming to our sessions, please get in touch with us at hello@greenshoesarts.com.

Our upcoming 2024 weekly workshops

CREATIVE CAFE WITH THE GREEN SHOES ARTS TEAM

Mondays 12:30pm until 2:30pm 

Come in, pour yourself a cup of tea and join us for these creative drop-in sessions for people to try out different art materials and meet the team in a relaxed setting. You can bring your own work in with you, create something as a group or just have a hot drink and chat – everyone’s welcome at Creative Café!

These sessions are perfect if you’re new to our programme.

STORYTELLING WITH KATIE

Wednesdays 1.00pm until 2.30pm 
Join Katie for 6 fun and creative workshops centered around the art of storytelling. As a group you will explore different ways of crafting your own stories using expressive writing, music and theatre activities with a group sharing opportunity in the final week. No previous experience or skills are necessary.
Workshops begin Wednesday 17th April at Chadwell Heath Community Centre. 

ONLINE PAPER ART CREATIONS WITH SARINA

Thursdays 6:00pm until 7:30pm 
Join Visual Artist Sarina Mantle to explore a range of mixed medium materials combined with paper art. Taking inspiration from nature, Sarina will guide you through a series of paper art techniques including sculpting, sewing, weaving and much more in these fun and relaxing workshops online. Art materials will be provided.
Workshops begin Thursday 18th April on Zoom. 

TEXTILE ARTS & CRAFTS WITH KEMI

Thursdays 1.00pm until 2.30pm
Join us for 5 weeks of fun with Kemi as she teaches you how to upcycle old clothes into brand new creations, tie dye and print fabric, learn weaving techniques and craft pom poms! These creative and welcoming workshops are open to everyone and are a great way to improve your wellbeing whilst learning something new.
Workshops are from Thursday 25th April at Thames Community Hub.

Creative 4 Life is made possible by a grant from the Comic Relief Smiles Fund.