Exhibition celebrates lived experience involvement in mental health research

A free exhibition exploring the experience of collaborative, participatory mental health research through art, photography and media opens in Bath this summer.

‘I saw lines everywhere’, curated by Maria João Dolan, is based on the early stages of a research study investigating the impact of urban living on individuals recovering from psychosis, a severe and often disabling mental health condition.  The exhibition stands as a celebration of lived experience involvement in mental health research.

Mark Batterham, Nurse Researcher at Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust (AWP) and Psychosis Health Integration Team (HIT) member, leads the Psychosis and Urban Living (PAUL) project, which works with service user researchers to explore ways to support early recovery from psychosis.  

The exhibition runs from 11 June to 3 August at Burdall’s Yard in Bath.  There will be a celebration event on 27 June 6pm-8pm. HIT co-director Simon Downer will be speaking at the event, and HIT members and service users who have given their lived experience perspectives to the project will also be attending. Entry is free and no registration is required.

The patient and public involvement and engagement activity on the PAUL project has been funded by AWP’s Research Capability Fund. Mark has also been supported by the Health Education England and NIHR Integrated Clinical and Practitioner Academic programme.

The Psychosis HIT is keen to build on the momentum this project has generated and is exploring potential collaborations with academics, as well as our Healthy Neighbourhood Environments (SHINE) HIT.

 Read the blog written by service users involved in the PAUL project