2025: Life in a Coastal Town: New exhibition explores mental health and community | Centre for Academic Primary Care

The exhibition, ‘Life in a Coastal Town: A creative exploration of community and belonging’, is part of the Coastal Community & Creative Health project. Led by the Universities of Bristol and Liverpool, the event is funded by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Arts and Humanities Research Council.

The exhibition shares original artwork by people living in Weston-super-Mare, exploring their experiences during some of life’s toughest times. Young refugees, people in recovery from substance use, and bereaved people worked with three artists (Caitlin Buckler, Niki Groom and Bev G Star) to explore their use of local community services and resources, barriers to access and gaps in support. The result is a powerful and insightful exhibition, telling stories of identity, resilience, hope and belonging that are rarely heard. 

Works on display include:

• an installation piece made from driftwood and Paddington bear-style suitcases, representing the ‘baggage’ of grief – the emotional load which bereaved people carry;
• postcards with collage, drawings and messages representing feelings of instability experienced by young refugees and exploring ideas of cultural difference and distance from home;
• artwork conveying experiences of recovery from drug and alcohol use, including a 3D lampshade showing the different ‘faces’ of addiction and rehabilitation.

Jake, a participant in recovery, said: “I hope people get a sense of what life is like in Weston, through the eyes of a person in recovery. I hope my work makes them feel even a fraction of what I feel for this community. I hope it challenges people’s perceptions, gives them a glimpse into my life and my story, or at least makes them smile.” 

Geraldine, a participant who has experienced bereavement, said: “The loss of a loved one and the emotions that come with it are many and vary from one person to another. I hope the visual creative work will invoke conversations about death. As a society we do not talk enough about it.”

Professor Lucy Selman, co-lead of the Coastal Community & Creative Health project from the Centre for Academic Primary Care at the University of Bristol, said: “Weston-super-Mare is a fantastic place to live. It has many cultural, health and community resources that provide support and connection for the people of the town. However, for a variety of reasons, not everyone has access to these resources or feels like they are for them.

“This exhibition gives voice and space to some of the most marginalised people in our community. It shows both the benefits of community assets and resources, and the difficulties people have in accessing the support they provide. 

“A central theme is the idea of ‘belonging’. Whether a community resource is accessible depends not only on availability but also on whether people feel welcome, safe and included. 

“We hope the exhibition raises awareness of the lived experience of mental health challenges in coastal towns like Weston, and prompts policy makers and public health teams to invest in equitable access to trauma- and grief-informed community resources.”

Thirty-one people took part in 19 art workshops over three months to create the artwork, which will be on display in the Museum’s foyer. The workshops were supported by community researchers and local organisations including The Other Place, Race Equality North Somerset, Humans of Weston, We Are Super, Weston Hospicecare, Super Culture and Alliance Homes.

Community researcher, Asmat, a young Syrian refugee, said: “These workshops have been a really positive experience. It’s been great to see young men coming together and having open, honest conversations about what makes them feel part of the local community. I really hope the project helps push things forward in Weston-super-Mare, and that it leads to more spaces like this where people feel listened to and included.”

Caitlin Buckler, artist, who led workshops for bereaved people, said: “Supporting people who are navigating grief and loss has been such an honour. Somethings can’t be expressed in just words – artistic methods enabled the participants to tell their stories and share the barriers they’ve faced.” 

Bev G Star, artist, who led the workshops for people with substance misuse, said: “Being part of the Coastal Community & Creative Health project and hosting creative workshops is a powerful way to spread joy and nurture the artistic talents flourishing within our communities. These workshops not only cultivated creativity but also provided a meaningful space for those recovering from substance abuse—a chance to connect, express themselves, and find an escape through creativity rather than substances or alcohol. It’s about fostering a sense of belonging, growth, and hope.”

Life in a coastal town: a creative exploration of community and belonging will run from Tuesday 8 to Thursday 17 July 2025 (closed Sundays and Mondays), 10am to 4pm at Weston Museum, Burlington Street, Weston-super-Mare, BS23 1PR.

For more information, see https://westonmuseum.org/

Further information

About Coastal Community and Creative Health

Coastal Community & Creative Health is a three year project (2024-27) funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council’s ‘Mobilising community assets to tackle health inequalities’ programme.

The project is based in three coastal areas with poor health in different regions of England: Blackpool, Hastings and Weston-super-Mare. Our focus is three key areas identified by our communities:

• young people’s mental health and wellbeing
• drug and alcohol (substance) use
• serious illness and bereavement.

The project’s aims are to:

• generate evidence and resources to improve mental health in our focus areas by enhancing and widening access to community assets
• enhance the skills and knowledge of people working with our communities to tackle mental health and wellbeing inequalities through community assets
• create a model of collaborative working across sectors and with communities which uses community assets to tackle health inequalities in coastal towns.

Follow on Twitter @CoastalCCH and Bluesky @coastalcch.bsky.social 

About the Centre for Academic Primary Care

The Centre for Academic Primary Care (CAPC) at the University of Bristol is a leading centre for primary care research in the UK, one of nine forming the NIHR School for Primary Care Research. It sits within Bristol Medical School, an internationally recognised centre of excellence for population health research and teaching. Follow on Bluesky: @capcbristol.bsky.social and LinkedIn.

About the Arts and Humanities Research Council

The UKRI Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) funds internationally outstanding independent researchers across the whole range of the arts and humanities: history, archaeology, digital content, philosophy, languages and literature, design, heritage, area studies, the creative and performing arts, and much more. The quality and range of research supported by AHRC works for the good of UK society and culture and contributes both to UK economic success and to the culture and welfare of societies across the globe.