Arts & Ourselves

A user-led creative arts and writing programme for people with experience of self-harm.

Sept 2026 - April 2027 | Online | Free

Arts & Ourselves is an ongoing series of creative sessions led by and for people with experience of self-harm. It is run by Make Space in collaboration with excellent creatives and facilitators. The programme offers room for our experiences in their multiple forms; a space for us to be together and to make some things.  

At no point will you be asked or encouraged to discuss or creatively represent your experience of self-harm, however you will be welcome to. We will never try to stop anyone from self-harming.

All sessions are held online, in the evenings and will be free to attend.

Our aim is to give room for self-harm in all of its different meanings; you might want to explore shame, feel into joy, forget about self-harm entirely, or hear from others. Whatever you need,  we hope you feel welcome. Each session will focus on a particular creative medium - the extent to which you make this about your experiences of self-harm is up to you.

Note: This programme is aimed at those 18+.

Current programme: Writing our own way workshop series 

These workshops are not about writing right or right writing. They are about finding doorways, windows, letterboxes, slits in walls and any other ways in to begin, resume, or continue writing.

Many people who write, and many people who don’t, find writing almost impossible. Some do it anyway and some of us dally around doing and not doing. 

Writing our own way is not about technicality and strict adherence to forms of writing. Instead, the workshops form a collection of  different invitations and provocations to prompt you to play with words, expression, and your imagination.

All this to say, if this is of interest, you are welcome.

About the facilitator

Louisa (she/her) is a queer, AuDHD workshop facilitator; avoidant-writer; therapist; seeker of wonder; and all-round appreciator of non-human furry and feathered persons

  • These sessions are for people with experience of self-harm. This could be historical or ongoing. You get to decide whether or not you feel you have experience of self-harm; it is not our place to decide (and nor will we ask).

  • You must sign up to each session individually. You will receive a zoom link shortly after this.

    Each session is free to attend and will be held online on Zoom.

    Our programme is supported by a therapist who will be available to anyone who needs space to debrief after the sessions. The debrief space is a one off session, to give you room to process what might have come up for you in the workshop(s)- it is not intended to offer ongoing or immediate support.

    Each session will be automatically captioned as default. There is space on the sign up form to let us know about any other access needs you have such as live closed captioning, BSL, or an intro to the team before the session. We will do our best to meet these needs.

  • No. We all know why we are there, and sometimes that is enough. Sometimes people talk about self-harm, often they don’t. That is okay.

    Make Space rejects cessation based responses to self-harm. We will never ask or suggest that you stop self-harming. We recognise that self-harm can take many forms and play many different roles in people's lives. We do not require you to disclose anything about your self-harm. 

    We are an organisation led by people with experience of self-harm. We are not trained medical professionals and cannot offer medical advice or assistance. 

  • Sessions are held online, on zoom. They last 90 minutes and will have a break halfway through.

    Groups are likely to be small (5-15 people). People join from all over the world and are lots of different ages.

    The sessions have space for all kinds of feelings; including sadness, silliness, anger, and ambivalence.

  • Arts & Ourselves is funded by the the National Lottery Community Fund (TNLCF).

    TNLCF has no access to information about who has joined our sessions.

    We use the funding to pay for: facilitators, therapists, insurance, zoom subscriptions, safeguarding/DBS checks, and our own time.

Get in touch 

If you have any questions about the programme or would like to speak to the team before attending, please feel free to get in touch at info@makespaceco.org 

Funding 

This project is funded by The National Lottery Community Fund.