A pioneering art initiative in England is breaking new ground by bringing visibility to marginalized people while supporting their recovery from substance use. Manchester's Castlefield Gallery has partnered with Anew, a nonprofit residential therapeutic community in Hyde, Greater Manchester, to explore how creative activities can play a crucial role in recovery journeys.
The innovative project was organized by Portraits of Recovery, a UK contemporary arts organization that works specifically with people recovering from substance use. "Our ethos is about looking at arts and culture as part of people's recovery journey, and about making social change through arts and culture," said Dominic Pillai, curator of social engagement at Portraits of Recovery.
Pillai explained that the organization operates under a philosophy called "recoverism," which approaches recovery from both cultural and activist perspectives. "The recovery community is a marginalized community – there's a lot of stigma around it – so Portraits of Recovery is about visibility," he said. "We are working with marginalized voices in society and the recovery community itself, but the broader context is about breaking down barriers and creating inclusion."
In what is believed to be the UK's first artist residency program in a treatment and recovery center, designer Joe Hartley made twice-weekly visits to Anew over six months, collaborating with approximately 60 people. Due to the fluid nature of the recovery center, Hartley worked with different individuals at various stages of their recovery process, engaging in disciplines including ceramics and photography.
One particularly meaningful activity involved a collaborative tea pot-making exercise that reflected the importance of tea in recovery culture. "In one of the early sessions, Joe did a bonding exercise where people were making teapots – as tea and tea-making are a big part of the recovery process," Pillai explained. "To challenge people from getting too possessive or taking ownership, one person would make the body, pass it on, the next would make a handle, the next a spout. All the pots were made by everyone, not by one person."
The emphasis on joy and community connection was intentional and vital to the program's success. "It can be bleak in the recovery process, but we wanted to make sure it was joyous, and that it helped create community and connection," Pillai said. He noted that people with lived experience of addiction often feel isolated, but art can bring people together, build community, and provide a renewed sense of purpose.
"How we look at the world is through art and culture, and what that reflects back to us," Pillai said. "Art means many things to different people, and that's no different for the recovery community either. We think it's vital." The project held special significance for artist Joe Hartley, who lost his younger brother to substance use four years ago. "It's been a highly emotional but positive experience – to see that struggles with substance use don't always end the same way," he said.
As the six-month residency concludes, the collaborative works created during the program are now being exhibited at Manchester's Castlefield Gallery through October 19. The exhibition serves as both a celebration of the participants' creativity and a powerful statement about the role of arts in recovery and social inclusion.
