HELLO, I’M SHAN
I trained as an art therapist ten years ago. Prior to that I worked in frontline roles in the social sector and with young people in the arts. I have a degree in anthropology, with postgraduate studies in documentary photography and am interested in visual narratives connected to personal identity, community and social justice. I am registered with both the Health and Care Professions Council and the British Association of Art Therapists.
I bring together the above experiences using an empathetic, creative and person-centred approach, providing me with a rich and powerful way to cultivate ideas and encourage new debates. In my own artmaking, I’m attracted to the abstract, using materials such as collage and clay that can be easily moved and manipulated. Akin to how I would use a camera, these materials can be composed, framed and reframed, with the focus on experimentation and play.
After working as a therapist in schools for several years, I currently manage a service in the NHS that uses the arts for wellbeing, for adults with complex needs. I also run art studios that use creativity to positively affect physical and mental health, and devise and deliver creative wellbeing workshops in corporate environments.