MEMBERSHIP | Pool Arts

Membership

We are a members-led collective, a work of art in our own right and a registered charity. Our charitable objective is to provide education to the public on the benefits of artistic practice to wellbeing. Provide support, training and facilities in particular for people in the Manchester area who experience mental or emotional distress, who have found that development of their artistic practice benefits their mental wellbeing. We do this through the exhibitions and projects we deliver, and through the day-to-day running of the collective. So membership is active, evolving and benefits each artist involved and the wider public.

Membership costs £30 a month, however we accept members who can pay less or not at all. We ask for a membership fee because this covers our costs and keeps us running.

Membership will provide you with the following:

Ongoing professional mentorship by our mentor Anne Louise Kershaw

Involvement in our exhibition programme (We have approx. 3+ exhibitions a year)

Access to a wider programme of workshops and projects run with our partners.

Your artist’s profile on our website

Peer support*

Critiques

Trips out

Portfolio support

Funding support

Full participation in what membership provides….

As a member’s-led collective, you will be involved in deciding what we do, bring your own ideas, needs, personality and practice to Pool Arts, and so part of the ongoing evolution of the work of art we are.

You will be required to be part of the process and of the peer support we provide each other. This is really important to us and part of what makes us unique. As a collective we meet regularly, create work, talk, share. We don’t have to, but we are always there for each other as a collective and support each other’s progress. Part of this is an openness and acceptance of people’s different mental health needs and experiences. Nobody has to share anything about themselves, but we run from a place that is mental health informed, neurodiverse curious, queer, straight, race and class conscious. We don’t claim to get things right, we just keep working together and accept and support each other.

We want to work with like minded creatives who will benefit from this mentorship, support and involvement. Please get in touch:

To find out more about membership, our artists, to collaborate or connect: