Katherine Lowe working with participants as Banyan Arts CIC.
About Katherine Lowe
Katherine is the Director of Banyan Arts CIC, who offer workshops using the Expressive Arts for rehabilitation, confidence, and wellbeing.
“We work to give disadvantaged communities a voice to share their stories and experiences using supportive inclusive creative processes to create awareness and promote understanding.”
Background to Banyan
Katherine has always been passionate about the arts and the positive impact they can have on a person's self esteem, communication and self expression. In 2011 she was awarded a teacher's grant from The Goldsmith's Company to research Intergenerational Theatre and the Arts in America.
While there, she spent time with inspiring organisations such as Elders Share the Arts and Alzheimer's Poetry Project and realised how much of a transformative impact the arts can have on health. She was also able to explore Expressive Arts for Health work in Hong Kong at the IEATA conference and witnessed the wonderful work happening globally.
This inspired Katherine to explore and work towards creating arts for health opportunities in the UK and North East. Katherine set up Banyan Arts CIC together with Director Stephen Simpson in 2017.
Creative Expressive Workshops
These workshops support individuals recovering from or managing a health trauma. These sessions bring together similar groups of participants, with the support of volunteers or carers to explore and process thoughts, feelings and experiences through expressive arts. These sessions are designed to suit the needs and abilities of group members. Groups can vary in size depending on need, ability and support.
Our aim is to provide a safe and nurturing environment for people to enjoy an opportunity for artistic expression that will support confidence, well being, improve their sense of physical and mental health.
These workshops can use a range of arts including pottery, poetry, creative writing, music, drama to engage different participants.
