What we do
Taiteen Sulattamo is art and mental health association that exists to increase prosperity through art. The association was founded by professional artists and mental health recoverers in 2013.
Weekly activities in daily bases
We organize a number of different art workshops, education and group activities every working day of a week.
Our activities are aimed to all age-groups for individuals who wish to increase their mental well-beign by the means of art. Participating in our activities does not require a diagnose or an artistic background.
Art productions
We also produce profeccional-level performing art productions. The topics are chosen from themes that our participants want to process. Participants are involved in every part of the process.
The process increases the quality of life by inclusion, engagement, and expression.
Commitment towards a common goal (in this case an art project) and working as equals with professional artists has an invaluable impact on individuals in recovery.
Art based experts by experience and peer support tutor educational programs
“Experts by Experience (EbE)= people with lived experience of mental illness
There is rich evidence showing that people who have experience of using mental health services are uniquely placed to help plan and develop those services in the future. Service users and their carers are ideally placed to educate and de-stigmatise the issue of mental health one person; one team; one organization at a time. ”
Taiteen Sulattamo ry offers educational programs for our target group to extend their experts by experience expertise and for individuals who are interested in acting as a peer support group instructor with an operating model based on applied arts.
In our context, an expert by experience is someone who has a history of living with mental illness and they share their experiences with people suffering from similar issues, their family or care providing authorities to provide experiential knowledge.
In a crisis, an internal experience can be difficult to put into words. Arts-based methods give people an ulternative form of communication and help us to reach a deeper level of understanding than just words.
The educational program and operating model are solidly grounded in recovery orientation and sociocultural learning theory.
For other organisations with EbE educational programs
We offer peer support and a peer learning network for other organisations offering expert by experiense training programs. Sulattamo aims to develop the quality of training by strengthening the comparability of learning environments and supporting training organizers’ ability to build local training to meet the needs of their own target groups.
We work in cooperation with a wide range of providers in the field. During our development program we have built a free database of education planning material. It also offers free tools for quality assurance for training of EbE.
We are hoping to provide a clearer system that helps the educator to verify the quality and level of their educational program and for the expert by experience to reinforce their existing knowledge and skills.
Activities for young people (13-23 years old)
We offer art group activities, excursion and camps as well as individual support for young people and young adults.
In our group activities we use FRIENDS-program to increase social and emotional skills, promote resilience, and prevent anxiety and depression.
Courses, groups and workshops
We also organize activities in the our premises at Malmi, Helsinki as well as partner organizations premises in different parts of Finland, with an emphasis on the Helsinki metropolitan area.
Courses, groups and workshops are planned and implemented by professionals, peers and volunteers.
Group activities are intended for working-age mental health- and substance abuse recovery. We offer open themed lectures, course-based group activities and individual support to promote recovery.
The aim of the activity is to increase overall well-being and take responsibility for self-care, as well as strengthen self-knowledge and self-esteem. We support you in finding a path forward and your own goals, clarifying them and achieving them.
Development Projects and networks
We engage in development projects focusing on innovations that are using arts methods in mental well-being. These projects have been in most cases funded by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health. Taiteen Sulattamo is a member of Gamian Europe (Global Alliance of Mental Illness Advocacy Network), The Finnish Mental Health Association (a national organization of people who have experienced mental health problems themselves), The Cultural Wellbeing Pool that exists to increase citizens’ well-being, inclusion, equality, health and recovery from illness. The Pool wants to strengthen the inclusion of cultural well-being as part of preventive services, care, rehabilitation, education and working life.
Taiteen Sulattamo has coordinated and participated in several development projects along the years and we are always open to new ways to co-operate and build a better world together.
Are you interested in co-operations?
Please contact sandra.beech@taiteensulattamo.fi