Creative Journeys 2025: Celebrating Art, Courage and Creativity at Saul Hay Gallery

On Tuesday 30th September, Independence Support proudly hosted our second annual Creative Journeys Art Competition at the beautiful Saul Hay Gallery in Manchester. The event was a heartfelt celebration of creativity, confidence and community – bringing together clients and colleagues from across the UK to showcase a stunning collection of artwork.

A Day of Creativity and Connection

The exhibition featured 15 incredible pieces created by the people we support – each one telling a unique story through colour, texture and imagination. From paint pours and collages to photography and mixed media, every artwork reflected the personality and journey of its creator.

Our host, Ian Hay, owner of Saul Hay Gallery, kindly offered us the gallery space free of charge for the day. Ian opened the event with a warm welcome and shared his appreciation for the artists’ courage and creativity.

📹 Watch Ian introduce the day below:

Celebrating Creativity, Courage and Growth

The Creative Journeys Art Competition is all about giving people the chance to express themselves through art, while highlighting the power of creativity in supporting mental health and wellbeing.

Throughout the day, visitors enjoyed exploring the exhibition, hearing the stories behind the artwork and celebrating the achievements of everyone involved.

📹 Watch highlights from the day below:

Announcing the Winners

Each piece entered told a powerful personal story — and the judging panel had a very difficult job choosing the winners!

Overall Winner – CR
CR’s mixed media painting carried an emotional message:
“This piece is about not bottling up your emotions. Learning to talk instead of self-harming.”

Alongside her artwork, CR shared a deeply moving video about her journey over the past year. She spoke about overcoming agoraphobia with the support of Independence Support, and how travelling to Manchester to see her artwork in a professional gallery felt like a huge milestone.

Her story inspired everyone who attended.

📹 Watch CR talk about her artwork and her journey below:

Highly Commended – Chapel Allerton Service
A collaborative mosaic made from recycled materials, creating a stunning lily pad scene.

Most Inventive – York Service
A nostalgic collage inspired by The Secret Garden, featuring nine hidden animals and representing calm, grounding and imagination.

Best Story – AH
A beautiful collage of nature photography created by AH, who shared how taking up photography after recovering from a suicide attempt became a lifelong passion and a way to inspire others.

A Celebration of Confidence and Creativity

Although only a few pieces could be recognised with awards, every single artwork displayed was exceptional – each one filled with heart, courage and individuality.
Our judges shared that it was incredibly difficult to choose winners, as every artist poured so much meaning and personal experience into their work.

We want all our artists to feel proud of what they achieved – this event was never just about competition, but about celebrating self-expression, growth and creativity.

Events like Creative Journeys remind us that art has the power to build confidence, inspire connection and support recovery.
For many of our clients, art has become a powerful outlet for emotion and self-expression – helping them to find new confidence and joy in their creativity.

We’re incredibly proud of everyone who took part, and grateful to Saul Hay Gallery and Ian Hay for their generosity and ongoing support in giving our clients a professional space to shine.