About Arc

In Arc’s vision of a healthy society, people get to create together, make their own choices, share support and take responsibility, regain their confidence and find reason to hope for a brighter future.

No two people have exactly the same experience of Arc and Arc responds to each individual differently: some are already well on the way to recovery when they join, and move on to college, volunteering or employment relatively quickly; others need much longer to recover. But everyone is encouraged to take a positive view of themselves and others, to feel part of an artistic community in which people support and encourage each other, and creativity and health walk hand in hand.

The Power of Creativity

Authentic creative experiences arise from a willingness to explore new things; from being alive to possibilities, from being open to change, to taking risks, knowing it’s okay to fail. (For how else to succeed?) Acts of creation are transformative, and they have great power to benefit our health and self esteem.

In essence, such experiences are about adventure and self–discovery. And through the astonishing originality of members’ creative achievements Arc effectively challenges widespread negative assumptions about people suffering from mental illness.

Creative experiences can be more than just a bandage for the wound, more than just a diversion to fill an empty space in the day. They can nourish and inspire us. They can bring us together and unite us in a shared world of creative endeavour.

That is why Arc exists.