2 March 2023

This month’s featured artist is Sayambrita Mukherjee, an art facilitator, Peer Group Support Worker and Project Manager for a Mental Health Charity in Bristol.

Please could you introduce yourself and what you do for Creativity Works
Hello, I am Sayambrita Mukherjee. I started my journey outside India with my family 8 years back when I moved to Hong Kong for 3 years and then to Bristol. Moving countries and cities has been a pattern in my life and has had a significant influence on the work I do.

I run art making workshops and sessions based on mindfulness and slow art for wellbeing.  I have facilitated group sessions and one to one sessions, in person and online, to support my participants through art making.

I have worked with Creativity Works as a freelance artist during the three phases of Co Create project, and I am creating a zine for Creativity Works. I have also participated in different workshops and programs run by Creativity Works.

What have been the highlights of your career so far?

One of my biggest projects in the past two years has been the online Saturday Mindful Art group that I set up during the pandemic to reduce isolation and bring together those who were keen in art making. We became an extended small community, providing a sense of security and stability while learning and creating art together. I have been able to extend it to those seeking one to one support as well and the group is still going. Another fulfilling project has been the series of workshops I ran for the Bristol Refugee Festival group along with the creative wellbeing sessions at the Arnolfini for refugee women from Afghanistan.

The highlights have been mainly interacting and working with the Creativity Works team as well as the three different groups in the three phases of the Co Create program. It was rewarding to see the participants respond to the range of materials provided and to give a choice to them, creating a sense of empowerment. The exploration of the ‘Mandala’ which was my first interaction with the groups, was received well and also left a sense of mystery and further exploration. Another highlight was assisting some sessions being held at Bath City Farm, where we modified it according to the emerging reality and need of the participant. It felt like we had accomplished more and explored more than we set out to do.

Could you please describe your career path to date?
My early memories of childhood have been one of growing up between several members of a joint family who were creative and expressive in various ways. I think my passion for visual and expressive art stemmed from that. Even during my graduating years, studying Economics at Mumbai University, I have been involved in voluntary community work with children at Akanksha- a school for slum children and at another project at a school run by the Drug Abuse Information Rehab and Research Centre.

After completing my studies and doing my Bachelor of Arts I moved on to learning Computer Graphics from EDIT Institute of Graphics, Mumbai and started off in the field of graphics. I worked as a Visualiser and a Web Designer as well as  freelancer for print media, specialising in image editing.  I moved cities during this time and had the scope of working at a well known Indian television network called Zee TV and their in house internet design provider Zeenext Pvt Ltd.

After quite a few years of enjoying the internet boom in India, I left the multimedia industry. I wanted to work with people and wanted to move away from creating on the computer which I found quite isolating at times. I moved into teaching at school that was open to exploring new ways of child centred learning. Along with some subjects I designed a new curriculum for Art on a trial basis for middle school (years 5.6 and 7) that was successful and benefited the overall learning of the students there, especially those who learned differently. It was a brilliant experience working at the school that focused a lot of self work and wellbeing of the staff and the students.

I moved along with my partner and kids from a well settled life to Hong Kong as he was posted there for three years. Initially I struggled to do anything and that’s when I reached back to my art, using it as a cathartic and expressive tool for myself. I painted on tote bags and T-shirts and participated at one of the biggest  handmade markets of Hong Kong. I also ran art sessions for a small group of 9-11 year olds and 3-5 year olds, as well as one adult. It continued for over 2 years until I left for Bristol.

My first experience in Bristol was volunteering at the drop in centre for Refugee Women of Bristol (RWOB) for the past 5 years where I started teaching pre entry level English to the women, supporting with the one to one reading sessions and eventually running the Art Table. I provided simple art making which often would be a respite for newcomers, who did not want to talk or were not in a condition to communicate through words. My journey as a freelancer continued while I offered wellbeing art sessions at the Bristol Refugee Festival (BRF) and the CIty of Sanctuary events in the past few years. I took the opportunity to do the one week online course in Foundation in Art Therapy by the BAAT. I have also participated and learned through the various workshops and sessions run by Creativity Works. Last year I was offered the opportunity to participate and run creative sessions at the Co Create program in all the three phases. I also assisted in running some sessions conducted by other artists at CW.

Due to my constant work with the community I got the offer to run some specific sessions at the Arnolfini with a group of refugee women who had moved from Afghanistan. In the meantime I had joined the mental health charity that I work for as a part time employee. It all collectively helped me to understand and grow in my work as facilitating peer group meetings as well as being a wellbeing artist and art facilitator. I have been able to introduce mindful art at my job as a project worker as well. Recently I have been invited by an artists’ collective BRAC ( Bristol Refugee Artists’ Collective) to join them and I have accepted it. My ongoing work with Creativity Works is a zine that I am creating and I am hoping to submit my latest project soon. I aim to continue in working in the community using creative ways and making it accessible to people and at the same time establishing myself in the field.

What advice would you give freelancers looking to work in arts and wellbeing?
If I were to share a few things that have helped me as a freelancer is to be consistent and keep at doing the creative activity that you love. I think there is merit in giving a 100% to every single project or person that you work with whether it is a group or just one person or client. one adult student that I had for 2.5yrs in Hong Kong challenged me to do more research and exert myself to higher levels and it became the key to other projects in the future.

Secondly, I would say to believe in your work deeply and your way of doing things. I know as artists and freelancers at times we doubt ourselves and our abilities. But it helps to find inspiration in those times to restore our faith in ourselves. At the same time objective feedback can be very valuable and if you can find someone who supports you and you trust with such feedback.

Thirdly, it is essential to have a certain discipline as a freelancer for yourself and to maintain the sanctity of your work. A good work habit leaves good results and less pressure on ourselves. However, I must say it is only with time, mistakes and experience that we get there. I am learning continuously.

So let us take pride and value all our experiences even if it doesn’t seem connected to our creative career initially. I must say that in my experience, everything adds value and nothing goes to waste.

Is there anywhere our readers can follow your career and work?
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sayambritamukherjee/
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sayambrita/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Sayambrita.Artforall/