New Art Studio offers a clinical art therapy service helping refugees and asylum seekers process trauma and rebuild their lives.

The people we support have typically come from countries in conflict, some have been imprisoned and tortured, all are managing difficult mental health conditions including PTSD, anxiety, depression, insomnia, and symptoms such as night terrors and panic attacks. Some of our members come from countries where women can't move freely, girls aren't educated, and to be LGBTQ can be punishable by death.

Run by experienced Art Psychotherapists who work in NHS, private and third sector settings, we create a group therapy environment where Members process difficult emotions through art-making and by sharing their thoughts on the work with other members. 

When people come to the UK seeking asylum they can often find it an alienating and lonely experience. People live on minimal benefits in low quality accommodation, and can face hostility in a country where in a recent national survey 37% of respondents placed immigration as the greatest challenge for the country, whilst only 3% of those respondents identified it as personal challenge for themselves. 

NAS takes referrals from Freedom From Torture, Care4Calais, the Red Cross, GP practices & Social Services, and by self-referral. 

Our current service runs one day per week on Mondays. Members can reclaim travel costs and a free lunch and art supplies are provided.

‘I need this day because my mind is very busy about my hard life. I need the support to make me strong in life. Painting gives me lots of energy in my life. I can do my favourite thing and enjoy it.’

We are fundraising - following a successful pilot - to launch a new peer support service which will also build capacity in our acute needs service.