About Breakthrough Art
Breakthrough are a nationally recognised mental health service user organisation, previously a well established consultancy, who have been working in mental health offering a service user perspective to qualitative research and training for around fifteen years.
Breakthrough's main objectives are and always have been:-
- To promote the creative talents of those with mental health difficulties as widely as possible by means of Reflections Magazine, coffee table art books, exhibitions, events and the work of the strategy group.
- To seek the views of a broad range of people including both those who use, and work in mental health services.
- To identify and disseminate examples of positive practice.
- To influence thinking in mental health policy and service development through its' findings.
In order to achieve these objectives Breakthrough:-
- Founded and successfully co-ordinated the National Positive Practice Awards for the last six years.
- Successfully produce a national full colour quarterly magazine showing user art and photograph
- Has published an annual coffee table art book with the same aim, and are in the process of producing of a number of regional art books giving even more service user artists the chance to showcase their talents.
- Were a main partner in the Art Works In Mental Health Initiative, holding exhibitions of the work in major galleries such as the Royal Society of Arts and the Dali Gallery, and will soon launch a travelling exhibition of user art to go around the country, in addition to providing art for a number of NHS sites.
- Have formed a strategy group to take forward art in mental health on a national basis.
- Conducts user led mental health service assessments across the full range of age groups and specialities, (around 60 services nationally to date) with a great deal of emphasis placed on the views of users and front line staff - a factor which has enhanced the work's popularity, along with the common sense and constructive approach taken.
- Acts as an information resource on mental health service development and quality improvement issues, in particular through its positive practice work.
- Trains fellow service users how to assess services, and how to engage with statutory organisations.
- Trains staff how to engage with service users.
- Organises conferences, seminars and meetings on relevant issues.
Breakthrough Art is run by Angie and Tony Russell. You can get in touch by using the Contact Us facility.
Tony Russell
Tony Russell is a Co-Director of Breakthrough. Tony’s other achievements include:- He was a member of the External Reference Group which formulated the National Service Framework for Mental Health (chaired by Professor Graham Thornicroft). He was also a member of the Workforce Action Team, and the Mental Health Caregroup Workforce Team, leading on to the development of his innovative idea for the Support, Time Recovery Worker (STR) – now part of government policy. Tony was appointed to the Mental HealthTaskforce (chaired by Professor Louis Appleby) and was part of the core implementation team which developed the National Institute For Mental Health In England (Nimhe). He was also a member of the Mental Health Primary Care Board, (chaired by Professor Andre Tylee), and was the Chair and Founder of the National Positive Practice Awards. He has been a Senior Advisor on the issue of football and mental health, and is an accomplished public speaker and facilitator.
Following the successful relaunch of Reflections Art Magazine in January 2009, Tony is currently planning the launch of a Trilogy of coffee table art books, and a series of Art in Mental Health and performing arts events which will take place in 2010. As a service user who uses photography as a coping strategy, he understands the tremendous value that the creative arts have in enhancing the healing environment and aiding recovery.
Angie Russell
Angie Russell has worked in partnership with Tony, her husband, for many years since his ground breaking work with football back in the eighties, where she dealt with many aspects of the project management for his events, and has since served on many Department of Health working groups. Angie was the project manager for the annual Positive Practice Awards, and an integral part of the drive for mental health to work in closer partnership with the football world. She also speaks publicly on the carers’ perspective.
She also has much experience of working across mental health through her previous work with the Inner Cities Mental Health Group and National Mental Health Partnership. Angie works with Tony on implementing the user service assessments, the identification and dissemination of positive practice, and the drive to take art in mental health forward through Reflections and the associated exhibitions and events.