Designed by artists and inspired by our art collection and artistic programme here at the Southbank Centre, Art by Post booklets are available for any individual or organisation seeking creative resources, including care-givers, those living with dementia or long-term health conditions, and practitioners and professionals working in social and healthcare settings.
Art by Post began in May 2020, working with 17 artists to create 12 creative booklets, sending out over 40,000 of them, and collaborating with a community of 4,500 participants aged 18 – 103. Each booklet guides participants through a series of activities to spark their imagination, keep their mind active and help them stay connected to others.
Artwork and responses sent back to us were included as part of an exhibition, which you can see online
Art by Post: Of Home and Hope
Art by Post was made possible due to support from the Paul Hamlyn Foundation and our brilliant delivery partners: Age UK Camden, Age UK Oxfordshire, artsdepot, NAPA Arts in Care Homes, The Barn, Beacon Arts, Dulwich Picture Gallery, HOME Manchester, King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Nightingale Hammerson, Philharmonia Orchestra, Platform and Sunderland Culture.
The Art by Post exhibition and national tour were made possible thanks to the support from the National Academy for Social Prescribing, with additional support from the Granada Foundation and Google Arts and Culture.
Poems for Our Planet 2023
In the summer of 2023, the Southbank Centre is presenting a season of performances, exhibitions and events about the climate emergency, focusing on hope, empathy and care to galvanise individual and collective action.
As part of this season, we have a new series of booklets called Art by Post: Poems for Our Planet. Participants receive six booklets in the post, arriving every few weeks. The booklets guide you through activities which use poetry, creativity and nature to inspire and support wellbeing, whilst also making connections with the living world around us.
Find out more about Poems for Our Planet