Change Minds (Carmarthenshire) is funded by the Welsh Government and is a collaboration between Carmarthenshire Archives and West Wales Action for Mental Health. A small group of up to ten participants take part in a series of seven workshops that take place on Tuesday mornings (10am to 1pm) at the Carmarthenshire Archives (behind Carmarthen library) from 30 September 2025 to 11 November 2025.
In the first three workshops, participants undertake archival research on an individual who spent time in the St David's County Asylum over 100 years ago. Participants do not need to have computer skills or any experience of archival research, there will be plenty of support on hand. For the fourth workshop, we visit St David's (now known as Parc Dewi Sant) for a tour of the site and a talk by a member of staff who worked there in the 1970s and 80s.
Having researched their case study individual and visited St David's, over the next three workshops, participants are supported by a local artist to produce a creative response to their experience of researching and getting to know their case study individual. Again, participants do not require any creative experience as they will be supported by the facilitating artist as well as by the project coordinator and a team of volunteers. If they wish, participants may bring their support worker with them to the workshops. The project ends with an event showcasing the creative works that participants have produced.
Change Minds is free to take part in and we will reimburse travel costs from within Carmarthenshire in cash on the day. If a participant feels that the project is no longer something for them, they are free to leave the project at any time. If you are living with mental health difficulties and would like to take part in the project or just to find out more about it, please do get in touch. Equally, if you are a practitioner and have any clients who you think might be interested to take part in the project, please do not hesitate to contact me or to give your client my name and contact details.