The Good Shepherd is embarking on a series of creative projects working with people in recovery from addiction, their families and children impacted by substance misuse thanks to funding from Arts Council England.
A grant of £89,000 from Arts Council England (ACE) will fund three years of work across Wolverhampton to support people on their recovery journey. Projects across the city have already begun.
Over the summer holidays the Good Shepherd in partnership with Wolverhampton 360 (part of Recovery Near You) ran Recovery Art Workshops.
The workshops were held at Wolverhampton Arts Centre, led by local artists Ewan Johnson and Charlotte Webb. Ewan worked with children and families to create felt butterflies and artwork inspired by rebirth and hope, featuring the slogan #RecoveryAyWe. Together, they produced a vibrant 5ft banner that will lead the UK Recovery Walk in Wolverhampton on Saturday September 13th. The banner also features stitched-on canvases painted by children and parents, along with a colourful array of wolves.
Over the sessions, the group also created canvases with their own inspired designs, as well as flags celebrating the gift of recovery with Wolverhampton references. Ewan then created placards from all the artwork to create a floating art gallery.
Charlotte Webb led the workshops with young people, she is an artist with lived experience of alcohol dependency. The stress of a high-powered job saw Charlotte struggle with alcohol dependency before she sought help with Recovery Near You and after a medicated detox began her own recovery journey. She graduated from the University of Wolverhampton with a degree in Illustration and is now a fulltime artist. Charlotte openly shared her story with the young people who attended her weekly art group over the summer, some of whom may be using substances themselves or living with someone who does. The group worked on canvas board, with vinyl and paint to create uplifting slogans and encouragements for people in recovery. These will also form part of the floating gallery. Kacey McCann (Wolverhampton 360) credited Charlotte’s openness about her own journey “with providing a source of relatability and perspective throughout our groups.”
Kacey McCann, Family Practitioner at Wolverhampton 360, who work exclusively with children and families impacted by addiction, said:
“These sessions have not just been a chance for young people to explore their creativity but also for parents and caregivers to join in, often surprising their children with their artistic talents. For our keyworkers, it is a wonderful way to build genuine connections with families and give parents the opportunity to see the personalities behind the professionals supporting their children.”
Kate Penman, the project lead at Good Shepherd said:
“These workshops with Ewan, Charlotte and Wolverhampton 360 have been joyful and it’s been wonderful to see how children fearlessly approach the task in hand. With limitless imagination and a can-do attitude the children and families have really created something special. It’s been an absolute delight to be a part of this project with Wolverhampton 360, their clients and Ewan and Charlotte and I can’t wait to see the banner at the start of the walk on Saturday, and all the art created in our Summer Arts Council workshops.”
The artwork from both the summer workshops will form part of a floating art exhibition during the UK Recovery Walk 2025 taking place this Saturday, September 13th. The walk takes place at 12 noon from West Park followed by a celebratory recovery village in West Park from 1-5pm. The recovery village promises to be a family-friendly day filled with live entertainment, community stalls, and a powerful show of solidarity for those on the journey of recovery. Entry is free and no tickets are required.
There will also be art workshops taking place in the recovery village, Charlotte Webb will be running one of the free children’s art workshops.
To find out more about the UK Recovery Walk 2025 in Wolverhampton visit: https://www.facesandvoicesofrecoveryuk.org/ukrw25/