Mindfulness when your mind is full – sharing wisdom from people who sex work.

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How can you manage to be mindful when your here and now is hard, your body can be a complicated place, and your environment is far from tranquil? 

Social art making can bring grounding, sensory anchoring, focus on process, help find flow and enable expression. It can also be challenging and feel like it’s not the right fit. Maura (Head of Creative) and Harriet (associate artist) will talk about how Our Room use mindful approaches in regular creative group sessions and projects with people who sex work. They will share honest learning, and insights from Our Room participants on barriers and benefits of mindful making.

Harriet and Maura will invite everyone to consider - how can we help to make mindfulness accessible and inclusive for anyone?

 

About Maura and Harriet

Maura McKee is Head of Creative at Our Room, leading their programme of creative activity, working with artists to produce creative workshops and projects, and developing Our Room’s strategic approach to creative participation, inclusive practice and cultural partnerships for and with male, trans and non-binary people who sex work.

 

Harriet Hall is Associate Artist at Our Room, producing creative workshops and projects. Harriet is a freelance artist-designer who specialises in co-production, and leads the Manchester-based creative collective interference-art. She is also lead artist on the Whitworth’s Still Parents programme, holding space for baby loss through art, and provides participatory arts experiences in prisons and probation centres with TiPP. 

 

About Our Room Manchester

Our Room is an arts and social change charity supporting male, trans and non-binary people who sex work. Creativity is at the heart of all we do and we believe it has the power to transform lives.

We provide a friendly, non-judgemental space where people can get advice and get involved in our creative programme. Our service is holistic, offering participants 1-2-1 support, free supplies and two different group sessions. 

Our Wednesday Creatives are facilitated by artists, focussing on developing confidence, skills and voice through collaborative projects, often making work to exhibit or perform. Our Thursday Wild@Art sessions centre on exploring ways to relax, and peer social connection, through creativity and regular trips out to cultural, heritage and civic spaces in Manchester. 

For over 20 years, Our Room has been supporting marginalised people to be seen and heard. We are the only organisation in the UK whose core mission is to support male, trans & non-binary sex workers. Our vision is that male, trans and non-binary people who sex work are empowered to live happier, healthier, more creative lives. We believe that everyone who sex works deserves dignity, respect and safety.