This blog was first published in our new report on men’s participation in creative mental health, Creatively Minded Men.
Fabrica is a visual arts organisation based in Brighton. We believe everyone should have access to art and creativity, striving to reflect and serve our local community.
We are based in a beautiful former church and also work across several communities in our city and wider area to connect people to art, recognising the potential of creativity to support wellbeing.
Our approach
Fabrica delivers two men’s mental health programmes: Men in Sheds and Men Who Make, both of which aim to engage men and those identifying as men with low mental health and those at risk of suicide.
Nationally, males are three times more likely to die by suicide than females. Suicide is the biggest killer in men under 50. In Brighton and Hove the suicide rate is historically higher than national and regional rates, and is currently 36% higher than England as a whole. Male deaths constitute 69% of suicides in our city.
Men are less likely to talk about their mental health, which reduces opportunities to offer preventative action. Our projects develop trusted and meaningful relationships, opening conversations as well as supporting wider quality of life.
Men are also, statistically, less likely to engage in our wider creative programmes. These projects give us new ways to rebalance our relationship with male audiences and connect them to opportunities to enjoy arts and culture and expand their own creative worlds.
Men in Sheds and Men Who Make aim to improve mental health and wellbeing among men who may be vulnerable because of their life circumstances, but who may not wish to access conventional support. Activities provide structure and companionship without emphasis on discussion of mental wellbeing. This approach can be described as ‘shoulder to shoulder’ rather than ‘face to face’. We offer a preventative approach where men with shared lived experience of mental health challenges connect over interest and common ground rather than their condition, and in doing so, find a network of support, community and resilience.
“Activities provide structure and companionship without emphasis on discussion of mental wellbeing.”
Men in Sheds Kemptown was launched in 2017 and currently opens two days per week. We annually work with about 15-25 individuals (our ‘Shedders’).
Originally commissioned by Brighton & Hove Public Health, our Shed is now part of UOK, a city-wide mental health referral network. Positioning the men’s shed as part of the citywide suicide prevention and mental health strategies gives recognition and awareness of the need for creative male-oriented offers which prevent and support mental health conditions.
Men in Sheds is best suited to individuals who may be at risk of a decline in mental health, or people who are coming out of a more critical situation and are now looking to reconnect and build positive, constructive opportunities in their lives.
Being run by an arts organisation means we can diversify what happens at the Shed, which includes self-led creative activities, artist-led workshops and outings. We also connect people to our wider offer and local creative opportunities. Our Shedders have worked on exhibitions, assisted with workshops and also been part of artist-led creative projects.
Over the years we’ve seen Shedders grow in confidence and learn skills from our facilitator. One Shedder has mentored a new participant, telling us that this gives him more motivation and, in his words, “a reason to wake up in the morning”.
The Shed is vastly oversubscribed and we have run a waiting list since 2019 and we have been acutely aware of the increasing referrals from mental health workers.
In 2020 we designed an associated project, Men Who Make, aiming to reduce demand for the Shed and create other routes and opportunities for men to engage with art.
Men Who Make offers creative courses that run weekly sessions over four to six weeks. We offer a supportive, creative group setting for eight to 12 individuals to make social connections, learn new skills, share knowledge and build confidence.
Courses focus on various arts and craft processes, including printmaking, stone carving, woodwork, alternative photography, textiles, ceramics and more.
We deliver courses across the city in venues and green spaces and are currently carrying out consultations to develop and explore interest in delivery in different regional settings.
We clearly put on our marketing that it is a mental health project and find we reach more men with higher levels of need in terms of mental health.
Both projects are designed in ongoing consultation with participants and with different partnerships, serving groups including men who are homeless men, ex-military, and refugees, broadening our network as well as our delivery.
Initially, participants aren’t usually very open about their circumstances or mental health. But over time people tend to open up in their own way. We do see the impact of poor mental health on participants, especially during and following the pandemic. Our facilitators are then well positioned to offer a trusted and appropriate referral or recommendation.
What we’ve learnt
Specifically saying something is ‘for men’ has been important in recruiting particular participants. Communicating this also leads to reactions from those who feel men are not ‘deserving’ or ‘in need’. Some feel uncomfortable about spaces which feel exclusive to others. We are driven by the data and aim of this work – to prevent mental ill health and suicide in men – it is important to share those statistics and have open, complex conversations which challenge our own assumptions.
We can see the potential of Men Who Make being very transferable and adaptable to new settings. We are currently exploring delivering it regionally.
“[I joined] to fill my time and my week, otherwise I’d be sitting at home on my own staring at four walls… a practical and physical outlet was ideal.” Men in Sheds participant
“To be able to come to the shed and work and help others gives me a great deal of satisfaction. I feel a sense of worth and love the way all the men work together.” Men in Sheds participant
“What I particularly liked was being amongst everyone, listening and being absorbed in what I was doing, being a part of it.” Men Who Make participant
Clare Hankinson is Fabrica’s co-Director.
