Bow Skills workshop: exploring art psychotherapy and working with diverse needs in arts projects with Dr Lily Hsu
Tuesday 6th May 2025 , 6:00pm to 8:00pm
As artists work more closely with individuals with diverse needs, the question arises: how can we work in a manner that is creative, yet sensitive and safe? Art psychotherapist Dr Lily Hsu returns to deliver a reflective and interactive session diving into this question and its implications in our artistic practices.
Lily will kick things off by exploring the concept of placemaking, materiality, and body in art therapy and will share her experience working in a wide range of clinical settings, including an outreach team for children with learning difficulties, a palliative care ward, a psychiatric ward, as well as in collaboration with various cultural institutes.
We will then draw on psychodynamic approaches in art psychotherapy to explore concepts such as containment, boundaries, transference and countertransference, which encourages participants to consider art-making in relational ways. Lily will present case vignettes from art psychotherapy sessions and community art projects, and will facilitate discussions around the complexities and unconscious processes involved.
This is an interactive and reflective workshop with plenty of time for discussion.
The workshop is open to anyone to attend but will particularly resonate with artists or artist-educators who work closely with children, young people, adults at risk, or those with an interest in exploring the relationship between art and psychotherapy through their artwork or practice. No previous experience with psychotherapy is required – come along and find out!
In this workshop you will:
- Learn about Dr Lily Hsu’s practice with art psychotherapy, and the implications for artists working with people with diverse needs.
- Be inspired to apply psychotheraputic knowledge in various artistic practices and collaborations.
- Explore ways to create a safe space and work in a sensitive manner in creative workshops and community art projects.
- Connect with other artists and practitioners with similar areas of interest.
This event is a repeated session by Dr Lily Hsu in January 2025 and will be held at our Courtyard Room at Bow Arts Trust, 183 Bow Road, London, E3 2SJ.
Concession rate applies to students, over 65s, under 18s, Bow Arts artists, National Art Pass members, and key workers.
More about Dr Lily Hsu
Dr Lily Hsu is a HCPC-registered art psychotherapist, researcher, and supervisor. Her passion for art and curiosity about people led her to train as an art psychotherapist. She has worked across the lifespan, from children, mental health service users, to the elderly. Her clinical experiences in unconventional therapy settings – such as museums, outdoor spaces, and online platforms – sparked her interest in researching placemaking, ultimately leading her to her PhD. She has taught at Goldsmiths, University of London, and is currently working at Harlington Hospice, specialising in end-of-life care.
About Bow Skills
Bow Arts seeks to support creative professionals at all stages of their careers. In 2015 Bow Arts launched Bow Skills in response to an artist survey which showed over 90% of practicing artists find it useful to receive further support outside formal education.
Bow Skills is a dynamic and relevant programme of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) which is informed by an artist steering group and open to all creative practitioners across London. The programme of talks, panel discussions, new skills labs and peer crits is open to all, with concession rates available to students, over 65s, under 18s, Bow Arts artists and key workers.
Access information
The Bow Arts Trust office has step-free access throughout from street level, including to the accessible toilet, and is service animal friendly. This venue does not have a hearing loop system. Accessible parking is not available on-site.
If you have any questions regarding accessibility at this venue or event, would like to make us aware of any access requirements that you have in advance of visiting, or would like this information in an alternate format including Easy Read, please email nunnery@bowarts.com or call 020 8980 7774 (Ext. 3)
Access requirements could include things like providing equipment, services or support (e.g. information in Easy Read, speech to text software, additional 1:1 support), adjusting workshop timings (e.g. more break times), adjustments to the event space (e.g. making sure you have a seat near the entrance) or anything else you can think of!
Transport Information
Nearest station(s): Bow Road (District and Hammersmith and City lines) is a 6-minute walk away, and Bow Church (DLR) is a 3-minute walk away. Bus: 205, 25, 425, A8, D8, 108, 276, 488 and 8 all service the surrounding area. Bike: Bicycle parking is located at Bow Church Station. The nearest Santander Cycles docking station is at Bow Church Station.
Address: Bow Arts Trust, 183 Bow Road, London, E3 2SJ
Opening hours: Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm
