Case Study: Creative Roots

Introduction

Creative Roots is an arts and wellbeing project led by Das Clarks, developed in partnership with HMP Parc/G4S and Cardiff and Vale Area Planning Board, with exhibition support from Wales Millennium Centre. Emerging from online workshops during the COVID-19 pandemic and refined through three years of delivery on prison wings, the project now extends into community drug and alcohol services across Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan. Working with a consistent team of six artists, Creative Roots offers inclusive, artist-led workshops in painting, printmaking, mark-making, collage, writing and photo-storytelling. Sessions prioritise participation, curiosity and human connection over outcome. The art work produced by participants and artists has been shared through in a series of exhibitions, including in prison and at the Wales Millennium Centre and in a book. A Evaluation shows positive impact on wellbeing, confidence and participants’ ability to imagine more open futures.

The Challenge

Creative Roots responds to the interconnected challenges of poor mental health, substance misuse and social marginalisation experienced by people within prison and recovery settings. Many participants have experienced trauma, adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), stigma and exclusion, alongside limited access to creative or social opportunities. In both contexts, daily routines can be highly structured or unstable, leaving little space for reflection, self-expression or positive social interaction. These environments are also demanding places to work. Staff and volunteers often operate under sustained pressure, with limited opportunities for reflection or creative expression. Das Clarks and partners identified a need for approaches that can accommodate unpredictable circumstances while offering opportunities for social connection, meaningful activity, positive identity and hope within shared spaces. .

The Approach

Our approach focuses on creative freedom, connection and opportunities for participants to see themselves differently. Our artists deliver sessions in teams of two, typically weekly and lasting 1.5 to 2 hours, with additional one-off sessions for staff including nurses, support workers and managers. Sessions lower barriers to participation, often beginning with simple, kinaesthetic exercises that encourage play and experimentation, allowing participants to engage at their own pace and in their own way. There is no requirement to disclose personal circumstances; participants are not defined by roles or histories, but by what emerges through making and spending time together. In prison, workshops take place on residential wings, where noisy, unpredictable environments can, for a time, settle into spaces of concentration and creativity. In community settings, groups incorporate service users, staff, volunteers and family members, creating spaces where roles dissolve as people connect through making and conversation. A trauma-informed, relational approach underpins all activity, supported by artist training, reflective practice and ongoing dialogue with participants and partners. Exhibitions are central to the approach. They elevate the art produced, demonstrate the power of collective working and celebrate shared journeys. Work has been exhibited in HMP Parc, recovery services in Cardiff and Barry, and in a major three-month exhibition at the Wales Millennium Centre. Inviting families, friends and external organisations is key, creating opportunities for participants to share work publicly, including through spoken word and musical performance. The project is also documented through a high-quality hardback publication, gifted to participants and used to share learning with wider arts, health and criminal justice networks.

The Impact

The evidence base for our approach is provided by an independent evaluation of the previous phase of the project. Using the CHIME framework, the evaluator identified positive impact in relation to connectedness, hope and optimism, identity, meaning and empowerment. We have again used CHIME to evaluate the current project through low-demand methods including reflective conversations, observations, unsolicited feedback and asking participants to describe how they feel before and after sessions. Findings show consistent positive outcomes. Participants report enjoyment, increased confidence and a sense of achievement, including those with a history of disengagement. Many return regularly. Participants describe sessions as motivating them to leave the house, reconnect with creativity and experience laughter and social connection. One participant reflected: “I used to be someone who painstakingly worked for hours on a painting, wanting it to look exactly like it did in my head and being very upset when it wasn’t ‘going right’. Now I paint with my fingers. I don’t care so much about the output, just enjoying the process.” Another told us: “I have found a new hobby in attending Creative Roots. Instead of sitting in my flat all day on social media or in front of the TV, my mind is racing with creative ideas on what I can create.” Exhibitions extend this impact. Presenting and seeing work alongside others, including professional artists, fosters a sense of belonging and recognition, supporting positive identity. A partner from HMP Parc noted that we: “make prisoners feel safe, using creative expression to make a lasting, genuine impact on their lives… many stating that the experience has been life-changing.” Across participant and staff groups, Creative Roots creates spaces for connection, reflection and a renewed sense of self within challenging circumstances.

Lessons Learned

We learned that flexibility and responsiveness are essential when working in complex environments. Designing sessions that can accommodate interruptions, change and fluctuating attendance enables more consistent engagement. Lowering barriers to participation through simple starting points, and an emphasis on process and connection supports confidence and creativity, including for those who initially feel art is not for them. Relational approaches are key. Trust, built over time through consistent artist teams and partnership working, enables deeper engagement and resilience. Informal, low-demand evaluation methods within an academically recognised framework proved more effective than formal data collection in capturing meaningful impact.

The Legacy

Creative Roots has established a flexible model supporting mental health and wellbeing through creative practice across custodial and community settings. The project has strengthened relationships between artists, prison and recovery services and commissioners, demonstrating the value of creative approaches in complex environments. Participants continue to engage beyond sessions, and partners have expressed interest in sustaining and extending the programme. The Creative Roots exhibition at the WMC is expected to reach over 40,000 people, with the exhibition and book providing lasting points of connection. Learning is shared through exhibitions, the book and sector networks, contributing to the understanding of arts and health practice.

Website and Social Media Links

Das Clarks Creative Roots webpage: https://www.dasclarks.com/our-projects/creative-roots Instagram: @dasclarks

Contact Details

DAR Rogers and Gareth Clark at wearedasclarks@gmail.com

Tags: arts for health, creative wellbeing, visual arts, participatory arts, prison arts, recovery services, mental health, substance misuse, community arts, social connection, Cardiff, Vale of Glamorgan, Bridgend

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