This March, the Centrepieces Creative Writing group proudly took part in Neurodiversity Celebration Week. Over the course of several weeks, the group dived into several specially-made writing activities designed to promote awareness, empathy and understanding for neurodiversity and those who live with neurodiversity.

One of the activities was a story picture prompt involving a Martian visitor who’d got lost (probably somewhere near Saturn…) and had found themselves in the bustling centre of London. Our writers were asked to write from the perspective of the Martian, exploring how they might interpret the unknown environment. Emphasis was placed on sensory detail and emotions. Everyone was then invited to read their entries to the group. But the real challenge came via a secret second challenge, given after the group had read their stories out. Now that everyone had heard other people’s stories and understood the context, writers were then asked to re-draft their stories – specifically changing any word describing or connected to a feeling with a random word. For some reason, vegetables became a resounding winner for most people when searching for random words! Then, everyone was invited to read their revised draft. The activity sought to raise awareness and understanding for neurodiversity by exploring how differences in processing information for the neurodiverse can, at face-value, complicate or confuse wider understanding by others. The key to this activity was for the writers to be aware of the original context of the stories so that they could reflect on how the two versions varied, and how that could apply to other everyday experiences between those who experience neurodiversity and those who don’t. Overall, this activity was well-received and those present all shared how interesting it had been.

Another key activity the group did over a couple of weeks was a collaborative visual piece exploring perspectives on neurodiversity, particularly “how it feels” (the neurodiverse experience), and “how it’s seen” (by wider society) – contrasting the two perspectives.

One of our writers, Lesley E, said – “I have really enjoyed taking part in the Neurodiversity activities in the Creative Writing group. It has made me see and understand things in a different way”.

Thank you to all of our writers who took part and explored this during our celebration of Neurodiversity.

The poem was originally a personal response to an experience. This exhibition seeks to widen the application of this wisdom developed from experience.

To be conscious of all of who we are changes and flows as we experience one another. We are all inter connected and therefore generate the Consciousness of Me. The question arises, how aware are we of our effect on others and the responsibility we each hold to use this to mutual benefit. 

The art has been selected to illustrate the Consciousness of Me from the obvious to the hidden meaning within the abstract.We invite you to spend time relating to the obvious and then seeking your own interpretation of the abstract in relation to the poem.

May 11th to the 17th 2026 is Mental Health Awareness Week, we hope we have contributed through this exhibition to this cause.

A big thank you to Canvas & Cream for working with us, making this an affordable exhibition that coincides with Mental Health Awareness Week and the Dulwich Festival. 

Enjoy!”

Curator, WJC

March 2026

Setting the Scene

As part of Centrepieces’ 2026 project, “Birds on a Wire”, a team of Centrepieces artists and volunteers collaborated to produce a rolling landscape scene that would form a jigsaw puzzle-style collage comprised of canvases painted by members of the community. The scene, based on our borough, was loosely themed on a bus journey – featuring some key points from the local area. Over two days, we planned, sketched and painted the extended scene which was then divided into A6 canvas-sized tiles for participants to replicate.

Alongside the visual backdrop, a series of templates (and examples) of wire birds were made in order to accentuate the project’s overall theme of individuality and community – being unique and still part of a flock – having a social network help support when difficult times arise.

Art in Action

On Wednesday 25^th March 2026, our team of “Bird on a Wire” volunteers and artists flocked to Hurstmere High School in Sidcup. Working with multiple groups of Year 9 boys as part of their art enrichment activities, Centrepieces demonstrated how to make the wire birds intended for the final exhibition, and supported them in replicating sections of the (now divided) extended backdrop scenery. 

It was a fantastic day, with Year 9 thoroughly enjoying the activities. An entire flock of beautiful wire birds were made – ranging in size and accent colours, with some of the boys showing tremendous skill and ability when attempting 3D birds. 

The landscape scene was recreated section by section, with participants choosing their section and recreating it on an A6 canvas as accurately as possible in their own style. This has led to a fantastic collage-style recreation of the original scene: showing an artistic glimpse of our local area by some of the members of our own community.

It was extremely enriching in meeting these fantastic budding artists and working with them to help create a larger piece of work that celebrates our community and the value that each member brings to it.

Another crucial aspect of the project, and the trip to Hurstmere High School, was to promote mental health awareness and wellbeing. Birds are central to this project because, whilst beautifully individual, they are a social animal just like humans; they rely on the flock and this analogy to the value of community and support networks is extremely important when exploring mental health awareness and working to reduce barriers and stigma relating to mental health, particularly in adolescent males given society’s traditional perspective of “acceptable” male identity. Because of this, a central thinking point the team posed to the Year 9 boys on the day was “what helps you when you’re having a bad day?”. This was intended as a reflective, critical thinking exercise for the boys to engage in whilst creating their wire birds or canvas sections. The aim was to provide a safe forum where the boys could consider and discuss their own strategies and thoughts among their peers in order to promote and empower positive mental health resilience. The insights shared from Year 9 were both heartwarming and uplifting. Here are some of their responses to what helps them navigate bad days…

• “Baking my favourite food to feel good.”
• “Having quiet and reflection time to myself.”
• “Fishing and being in nature.”
• “Praying”
• “Football! I feel great when we win but when we don’t I feel a little sad, though we talk it through as a team.”
• “Going out with my mates and chatting to them.”
• “Watching something I enjoy on Netflix.”
• “Playing golf with my Dad.”
• “Drawing my feelings in my sketchpad.”
• “Cooking with Mum and spending time together.”
• “Playing computer games like Minecraft.”
• “Playing Formula One on the PlayStation against my friends.”
• “Going out on my bike and getting fresh air.”
• “Chilling in my bedroom and playing music.”
• “Playing tennis.”
• “Spending time with my brother, like going for a drive.”

HIGHLIGHTS OF 2025

2025 turned out to be one of our busiest years ever with two Stables Gallery Exhibitions at Hall Place, the first in the summer ‘Reflections on Where We Live’ a commemoration of the 60^th anniversary of Bexley as a London Borough and the second in the Autumn ‘Bringing Light to Mental Health’ as part of the Bexley ‘Night Visions’ programme funded by the Arts Council of England. This exhibition also incorporated the world Mental Health Day theme of ‘Mental Health in the Workplace’.

Bringing Light to Mental Health culminated in a truly magical event at the Lodge Hall Place at the beginning of January with workshops and Domes outside full of light and installations and included the launch of our new song ‘Towards the Light’ which you can see below:

Other exhibitions included one at Price Waterhouse Cooper near Tower Bridge

based on the Mental Health Awareness theme of ‘Community’ and another at the Canvas and Cream café and art gallery in Forest Hill entitled ‘Trauma to Recovery’.

We also held a one off Saturday Art Fair in Rochester which went well and set a good precedent for the future.

The year ended with a Winter themed exhibition at the Drill Hall Sandwich which also incorporated artwork from the previous 2025 exhibitions.

Needless to say the above was only achievable through the tremendous effort and participation from  Centrepieces artists, volunteers, Trustees and our patron. Our busy art workshop programme and the Studios in Sidcup acted as successful catalysts for Centrepieces artists to develop their skills and enabled much of the artwork to be produced.

Sales of artwork in 2025 were tremendous as the public responded in a very positive way to both the art produced and the people who were making it.

In September the outgoing chair of our Trustees Mike Ellsmore organised a music fundraising event at the Erith Playhouse Theatre with two great Americana acts which was well attended and raised important funds.

PREMISES

We have now been in Sidcup Manor House as our Pop Up satellite premises for nearly three years. As most will be aware there have been times when we have been in a state of high alert and preparation to move on as both the building and car park are subject to ongoing development proposals. Although we will have to move at some point we are currently continuing with business as usual with the studios and workshops etc still being held there. As yet we do not have confirmation of the location of new premises and are making the most of this space which has been invaluable for Centrepieces.

Our more permanent home base at the Lodge Hall Place continues as usual as the hub of the organisation with our office and where workshops and the planning and organisation of exhibitions takes place.

We briefly took on another empty shop space in Bexleyheath Broadway Shopping Centre in September and set up our first exhibition but this unfortunately only lasted a few weeks due to being leased to a commercial retail outfit. A big thanks to all our volunteers and artists who worked hard to make this happen and for the positive public engagement which ensued.

EXHIBITIONS TO LOOK FORWARD TO IN 2026

So far we have the following Centrepieces Exhibitions planned for this year:

The Drill Hall Sandwich 1^st Dec 2025 – 30^th March 2026

This exhibition has just closed and was as successful as ever with a lot of artwork sold and a very good response from the public. We will probably have a few more pieces on show there during May.

Canvas and Cream Gallery in Forest Hill  14^th – 28^th May

This exhibition is based on the poem ‘Consciousness of Me’ by CP artist Nadia Halliday and curated by Wendy Clay.The call out and brief has already been sent out with artwork contributions from Sane Award winners and a number of others. It will be well worth a visit as it coincides with the Dulwich Open Studios Festival and Mental Health Awareness Week.

Stables Gallery Summer Show  13^th August – 9^th September

All entries will be welcome for this exhibition but we are currently developing a sub theme for those that like to work with a more specific focus. More information and a brief for artists will be circulated shortly.

Stables Gallery Autumn Show  5^th November – 2^nd December

This exhibition will be primarily devoted to the ‘Birds on a Wire’ project which Karen Larkin has been running through funding from a William Kendall Grant (see  elsewhere in this Update).

Rochester Art Fair

This has just been booked for Saturday 27^th June and artists will shortly be consulted to see who might be available to help out and sell their artwork.

Other possible exhibitions which are currently being worked on will be publicised on the general email group as they progress.

PICTURE LOAN SCHEMES

We currently have picture loans schemes at The Repton Community Centre in Ashford Kent, Slade Green Community Centre and the Kings Arms pub in Bexleyheath where C/P artist Trevor Whiting is showing his work. These schemes provide good publicity for the artists and Centrepieces as well as an opportunity for our artists to sell their artwork.

WORKSHOPS

We have had a steady flow of artists attending workshops since January.  We try to make the programme as engaging and diverse as possible as well as ensuring that some workshops are consistent.  Our current programme includes workshops on: 

• Airdrying Clay; Watercolour;
• Sketching & Drawing – using pencil, charcoal and pastels;
• Outdoor Sculpture techniques; Mixed Media (mosaic; paper mache clay; jewellery making and wire work;
• Friday Art sessions (looking at different artists styles and techniques); Creative Writing;
• Saturday Craft Club (fortnightly).

If you would like to attend a workshop, but can’t do the day that it is on, please email Karen (karen.centrepieces@gmail.com).  We may be mixing up some of the workshop days over the Summer.

BIRDS ON A WIRE PROJECT

 The “Birds on a Wire” project is well underway, involving various workshops and community sessions across the borough. We recently spent a productive day at Hurstmere High School, where Year 9 students helped out by painting sections of a local landscape collage and making their own wire birds. It was a good opportunity to get the students thinking about mental health and the importance of looking out for one another, using the art as a straightforward way to chat about resilience and the value of having a decent support network.

The plan is for the project to culminate in the second Stables Gallery Exhibition in November and there are talks about having a sculpture on the plinth in the grounds of Hall Place.

AWARDS

Congratulations to the 2025 Sane Individual Artist Award winners: Fatma Durmush, Nicola Wills, Waheed Adeniran and Kay Weerawarnasuriya. Some of these artists are using their awards for artwork in our Canvas and Cream exhibition in May.

And congratulations to all of this years Centrepieces ‘Inspire Award’ winners which were announced at our AGM in February: Sally Thompson, Kelly Gibbins, Matthew Delaney, Nicola Wills, Nicki Lessing and Andrew Flewitt.

Awards were given for both artistic and volunteering contributions to Centrepieces.

WEBSITE AND SOCIAL MEDIA

Many thanks to Carla Diniz who has been developing a new Centrepieces Website which will be launched very soon and for overseeing the resurgence in our Facebook, Instagram and Blog activity.

VOLUNTEERS AND TRUSTEES

As everyone knows Centrepieces is entirely dependent on the people who give their time, expertise and commitment for free to organise and run the project. As ever we have had a turnover of Volunteers and Trustees who left in 2025 and new people joining. So a big thanks to everyone both old and new for making the organisation work so well !

New Trustees include Tracy Smith -Dance, Samsara Weerawarnasuriya and Harriet Louth. Many thanks and good luck to Mike Ellsmore, Eileen Pallen, Sally Macgregor and Georgina Bowen for all their previous help. We currently have 9 Trustees who meet every 2 months, some of whom are on our Arts Committee.

We currently have over 30 volunteers so can’t mention everyone by name but Carla Diniz and Natalie Whiten are now well established in more senior roles as p/t Assistant Coordinators. Carla leads on Social Media and Website development and helps with Exhibitions and Natalie supports the running of the Pop Up premises at Sidcup Manor House and plays a major role in many of Centrepieces projects.

January is often a gloomy month. After the festive cheer of December, the start to the New Year can feel a little daunting for some. So this January I decided to put art into action to offer glimmers of hope and laughter amidst those darker evenings.

Ink doodling is something I’ve found myself doing more and more. When I’m trying to concentrate, my mind frequently wanders into tangents, expressing some of the thoughts racing through my head. A love of typography has led to this expressive doodling becoming more and more elaborate over time. From observing techniques used in graffiti and urban art, I’ve developed my own custom style. With mental health being such an important topic, and one foremost at the heart of Centrepieces, I wanted to share the techniques I’ve developed and offer our community the opportunity to create some positive affirmation ink doodles of their own that could help to empower and uplift them. Over two sessions, the workshop explored the techniques I typically employ in my work – ranging from types of lettering, to shadow-hatching and accent-detailing, and even the different effects you can achieve from using types of paper. Lined paper and newsprint especially can evoke a wonderful finish when the ink doodles are coloured.

The first session explored how to use the simple techniques to create a piece of visual word art – encapsulating a positive message or thought. The second session took this a step further by looking at how visual elements can be included to boost the overall impact of the typographic art. The artists really got stuck-in and produced some fantastic pieces – from birds, to books, and even musical notation. The atmosphere in the workshops was extremely positive and everyone had a fantastic time. A lot of the artwork produced has now formed a wonderful display at the Pop-Up to help promote mental health wellbeing.

Essentially, this workshop was all about offering some light in what is, for many, a difficult point in the year. Just like the physical seasons, hope and light are just around the corner like the first buds of spring. From personal experience, December and January are very challenging months for me and I know how much of a struggle braving those longer hours of darkness can be. I really wanted to offer some hope and positivity in my own little way, and show people one way I’ve learnt to nurture those seeds of hope for the times ahead.

The event was a beautiful testament to the power of art, connection, and shared experience. We were overwhelmed by the dedication of our many volunteers who braved the weather to help us interact with the public. Throughout the night, we shared stories, raised awareness for mental health, and invited everyone to find a little bit of “light” during the darkest time of the year.

This event was part of Night Visions, a winter-long, light-themed arts festival running from October to January funded by Arts Council England to showcase local creativity in the London Borough of Bexley

. 

Creativity in Action: Our Workshops

The heart of the event was found in the hands-on workshops where visitors became artists.

• The Big Panel: Participants painted small individual canvases reflecting what “light” meant to them. These were gathered to form a massive collective panel—a powerful visual representation of how our unique stories create a bright, supportive community.
• Lantern Making with Willow Winston: We were honored to have our patron, Willow Winston, lead a wonderful workshop where visitors created beautiful glowing lanterns and intricate decorations to add to the evening’s radiance.
• Stone Painting: Visitors of all ages sat together to transform simple pebbles into colorful, tactile keepsakes.
• The Fluorescent Dome: People decorated a magnificent dome with fluorescent painted leaves, adding them to giant flowers created in prior workshops to build a glowing, neon garden.

A Sanctuary for Reflection

Inside a dedicated dome, the Centrepieces Creative Group showcased their incredible work. This space served as a sanctuary for reflection, where visitors were invited to participate in two deeply symbolic activities:

• The Boxes of Thought: Guests wrote down their “light” and “dark” thoughts, placing them into glowing boxes to acknowledge the duality of the mental health journey.
• Hidden Messages: Using UV paint, guests wrote messages that remained invisible until illuminated by special lanterns—a metaphor for the hidden depths we all carry.

A Multi-Sensory Finale: Music and Light

Just before the final illumination, we shared a very special collaborative project. We premiered an amazing original song, born from a collaboration between our Creative Writing Group and the talented singer and composer Cherie Jones.

The song was accompanied by a moving music video put together by Karen Larkin, featuring many of the beautiful canvases created by our artists. It was a poignant moment that perfectly captured the spirit of the evening.

As the music faded, we concluded the night with the official “light up” of all the structures. In an instant, the sculptures and domes took on a completely new dimension, transforming the park into a vibrant beacon of hope.

A Heartfelt Thank You

An event of this scale is only possible through the hard work of our incredible team. We want to extend a massive thank you to all our volunteers who gave their time and energy to make this happen.

A special note of gratitude goes to Natalie Whiten, who oversaw the entire event. Natalie’s leadership and organization ensured that everything ran smoothly from start to finish, allowing our artists and the public to focus on the joy of creation.

Thank you to everyone who came out to support Centrepieces. Together, we are truly bringing light to mental health.

A Song Written by the Community

The soul of this track lies in its lyrics, which were collectively penned by the talented Centrepieces artists within our creative writing group. During their workshops, the group explored the deep, personal themes of the festival—investigating what “light” means to each of us during the winter months.

These poetic reflections were then handed to the brilliant singer and composer Cherie Jones, who composed the music and provided the soaring vocals that bring the artists’ words to life.

Visualizing the Music

The video serves as a showcase for the artwork created by our community over the last few months. Each painting is a personal exploration of light; these pieces eventually formed the “ever-growing mural” at our recent winter event, Bringing Light to Mental Health.

Part of Something Bigger

This collaboration is a cornerstone of Night Visions, a winter-long arts festival running from October through January. As part of the #CelebratingBexley program, and with the generous support of Arts Council England, Night Visions has brought everything from lantern parades to immersive trails like Alice & the Queen’s Beasts to our borough.

“Towards the Light” is more than just a song—it is a celebration of the creativity that thrives right here in Centrepieces.

Watch and Share: Please enjoy the video below and feel free to share it on any social media platform to support our local artists and writers!

About the Event

Join us for a magical afternoon of creativity and community at Hall Place! “Bringing Light to Mental Health” is a collaborative art project bringing together artists, volunteers, friends and neighbours to create a stunning outdoor installation.

Over the last few months, our artists have been hard at work crafting “light” themed artwork. Now, we need YOU to help us bring it all together!

What’s Happening?

 Three Domes: We are transforming the area by The Lodge into a glowing art gallery featuring three outdoor domes.

 Make Your Mark: Everyone is invited to create their own small canvas panel. Paint or draw what “light” means to you—whether it’s a feeling, a person, or a memory.

 The Growing Mural: Your personal panel will be added to our ever-growing community mural, becoming a permanent part of the day’s display.

 We will also have other free activities and workshops throughout the day exploring the theme of Mental Health and Light

 The Grand Reveal: Stick around as the sun goes down! At dusk, the entire installation will be illuminated for a beautiful light display.

Wear warm clothes and invite your friends and family—let’s see how much light we can share together! 

We extend a giant thank you to all our dedicated volunteers. Their enthusiasm, brilliant help, and teamwork ensured a smooth and successful installation—the resulting display is truly fantastic!

We invite everyone to come down and see the new exhibition. Why not make a day of it?

Visitor Tip: Treat yourself to the delicious pizzas available at The Drill Hall’s Pizza restaurant

Opening hours – Tuesday to Sunday, from 12:00 pm to 9:00 pm – Until 29/03/2026
Address – Fishergate, The Quay, Sandwich CT13 9EN

Contributing to ‘Alice and the Queen’s Beasts’

The Night Visions installation, titled ‘Alice and the Queen’s Beasts,’ featured a spectacular Lantern Trail across the Hall Place grounds. Our partnership involved contributing specific illuminated elements to this large-scale event.

The Clock Lantern Workshop

Centrepieces artists attended a workshop focused on creating clock-shaped lanterns. These lanterns were designed to be integrated into the main Lantern Trail display. The artists successfully produced well-crafted, luminous pieces that added to the overall atmosphere of the installation.

A Successful Display

The clock lanterns created formed a significant part of the final trail. It was rewarding to see the work of our Centrepieces artists displayed within such a prominent local arts event.

We extend our thanks to Same Sky for the collaborative opportunity and for coordinating the impressive installation. We are also grateful to all the Centrepieces artists and tutors whose effort and participation made our contribution possible.

Finally, thank you to everyone who visited the Night Visions trail.