How making can play a part in addiction recovery

Initiated by visual arts charity, Portraits of Recovery, TYPECAST was a European-wide project linking the arts with people in early recovery from substance misuse.

In April-May 2015 the Manchester project worked with participants recruited with the support of Lifeline, the Drug and Alcohol service provider for Manchester, to explore how clay and making can be used as a tool within the addiction recovery process. This exhibition is a showcase of a selection of work from that project.

Participants explored themes of personal heritage, stigma and identity change through a range of material experiences in porcelain and mixed media in order to develop a personal visual language through object making. They interpreted their own recovery stories through found and personally significant objects and were encouraged to rule break and challenge conventional methods of making and working in a high status material.

The project was hosted by Manchester School of Art, and led by lecturers Jenny Walker and Eleanor Simms, with support from student volunteers from the 3D Design programme, including our current exhibitor here at MCDC, Verity Howard.

Walk, Find, Make, Talk – Saturday 23rd April

Walk, Find, Make, Talk is a one day event to re-visit the urban archaeology walk that took place for the original project; conceived as a means to foster conversations about recovery experiences between those in the recovery process and their family and friends who support them. Artist-makers and ex-participants will join new participants to explore recovery identity through walking, object finding, and object making.

If you would like to find out more about the project, the exhibition or the one day event please contact Jenny Walker