We are delighted to share the outcomes of The Art Garden / Yr Ardd Gelf, a year-long programme bringing together creativity, nature and wellbeing across Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan. The Art Garden / Yr Ardd Gelf was funded by Arts Council of Wales as part of their Arts, Health and Wellbeing programme with support from The National Lottery.
Building on Breathe Creative’s long-standing work, the project offered inclusive, nature-based arts activities for people experiencing mental and physical health challenges, social isolation and complex life circumstances. Through a person-centred, trauma-informed approach, participants engaged at their own pace in safe, supportive environments.
What we delivered
Across the year, the programme included:
- Weekly Art for Wellbeing sessions in our allotment space
- Monthly Tales of the Year storytelling gatherings
- A 12-week palliative care arts programme (Flow)
- A community mural project (Nourishing Riverside)
- Ongoing creative music sessions (Hope4Change)
Activities ranged from visual arts, storytelling and music to nature-based creativity, filmmaking, creative writing and digital arts.
Who we worked with
We collaborated with partners including Ty Canna Mental Health Outreach Services, Growing Green, Wyndham Street Centre and Cardiff and Vale UHB Supportive Care teams, engaging a diverse range of participants from local communities.
Highlights
Nourishing Riverside brought together local people to co-create a vibrant mural celebrating food, growth and community.
“The murals have transformed the outside space… bright and welcoming now”
Tales of the Year created welcoming spaces for shared stories, creativity and reflection in nature.
“It is a moment of peace, it is mindfulness”
Flow supported individuals in palliative care through weekly creative sessions.
“It is my only opportunity to leave the house each week”
Hope4Change continued to grow as a creative music community, supporting expression, confidence and connection through songwriting and performance.
Art Garden sessions provided a consistent, low-pressure space for creative exploration and connection to nature.
“Nature makes us feel part of something bigger”
Impact
Across all strands, participants reported:
- Reduced anxiety and isolation
- Increased confidence and self-expression
- Stronger connection to others and to nature
- A greater sense of belonging and purpose
Looking ahead
The Art Garden has strengthened our long-term creativity for wellbeing and ecotherapy approach, with ongoing partnerships and the allotment continuing as a shared community space. We will build on this work through future collaborations, funding and co-produced activity, ensuring lived experience remains central.
“Coming to the allotment, the seasons, being creative, it makes me see the bigger picture and feel part of it.”
