Project with WCL Mind / Allkind

For 4 years between 2022 - 2026 we facilitated 45 people living with mental health challenges to make films about their internal worlds. This was done with a collaborative approach within small groups who came together over a 3 month period and processed something through film.

We teach people basic filmmaking skills and facilitate spaces which allow for creative and therapeutic expression. We work with individuals as a prevention or recovery vehicle giving them the opportunity to create a temporary community and in most cases we have been able to provide some paid work on filmmaking commissions. By screening the films out in public we raise awareness and promote these powerful and unusual films which come from people with lived experience. This validates their experience - leading to further growth and development before they get the opportunity to support the next years group through a paid peer support program.

Safety is important to us and we recruit for the participants through social proscribers and in collaboration with WCL Mind as well as engaging with supervision.

Impact

For about 65% of our participants the process is transformational and around 20% find it beneficial with an average of 10-15% not completing. We have had people go on to make more films, study in further education, return to employment after years away and continue to show their work to the public. There has been a mixture of techniques used to measure both quantitive and qualitative data over the years and currently we are working with a student at UCL to bring it all together. Here is the data from the last year:

Percentage of participants reporting improvement:

• Mental Health: 78% of participants reported improved mental health. • Physical Health: 67% experienced better physical health.

• Social Health: 89% noted enhanced social connection and a sense of belonging. • Confidence: 78% felt more confident. • Engagement in Meaningful Activity: 100% reported increased involvement in purposeful activities.

Quote:

This has given me something to live for (Mo, 2026)

I’ve never finished anything in my life. It’s made me start to believe I can do things (Bob, 2025)

It has given me breath. In 11 years of therapy I haven’t been able to process as much as I have in the past 12 weeks. It’s like I can see myself again but from a different place. (Gurnam, 2023)