Tessa has been an Artspace member for a couple of years now, and is a valued contributor to our Thursday morning sessions. She is an experienced and skilled crafter, and has enjoyed crocheting, cross stitch, stained glass amongst other things. Tessa had this to say about her lived experience, and how she feels about Artspace:

“I first joined Artspace in 2023 after being referred by my doctor. I’ve suffered from mental health problems for over 20 years, and apart from a trusted group of friends and my partner, I had been quite cut off. Artspace is a studio that offers support, and can be used by its members to create art. They were very receptive to me using it for my crafts. I find it a safe place to interact and be creative, and a place where I don’t feel judged. It’s liberating to find a place for arts and crafts which accepts members with all sorts of diagnoses and allows them to feel part of society again.”

Tessa has an instagram account @carecraftsbytessa, where you can see over 60 examples of her work. All of her work is for sale, and 100% of those sales have and will continue to be donated to charities that Tessa is passionate about. Below are a few examples of Tessa’s work: