Green Power

Green Power has been running at Mansfield Museum since 2022, providing creative and outdoor wellbeing activities for women living with the effects of gender-based abuse and other trauma. Through creativity, shared experiences and time outdoors, the project offers a supportive space where women can build confidence, develop new skills, make friends and take steps towards recovery.

Since the project began, more than 100 women have taken part in over 450 workshops. Working with freelance artists, an art therapist, workshop facilitators and a network of partners, participants explore a wide range of creative activities, inspired by the museum’s social history collections, local heritage and the natural world. From printing, felt making, collage and stitch to ceramics, creative writing and gardening, the sessions encourage curiosity, self-expression and a sense of belonging.

Green Power is built on the importance of consistency, trust and togetherness. The regular sessions provide a reliable, welcoming space where women can support one another, share experiences and develop friendships. Becoming exhibiting artists and seeing their work shared with the wider community also helps participants build self-esteem, confidence and a sense of achievement.

The group has created and exhibited work in a variety of settings, including Mansfield Museum, Newstead Abbey and Southwell Minster. In 2025, their Green Power Women exhibition featured ceramic faces inspired by medieval carvings at Southwell Minster, challenging traditional patriarchal representations. The work was showcased during Mansfield’s Light Night in the historic greenhouse at Carr Bank Park, alongside creative writing projected as part of an installation. The group has also exhibited Birds, Beasts, and Byron at Newstead Abbey.

In March 2026, Mansfield Museum presented Green Power – Red Flags, a co-created and co-curated exhibition exploring the warning signs of unhealthy relationships through participants’ creative responses. The exhibition was also selected to travel, with a presentation at Southwell Minster planned for November 2026, followed by a further exhibition at West Nottinghamshire College.

The group is now creating story cloths, using slow stitching, appliqué and fabric imagery to explore stories and ideas through textiles. These new artworks will be displayed in Mansfield in April 2027 as part of the Bayeux Around Britain programme.

Green Power continues to demonstrate how creativity, connection and shared experiences can support wellbeing, help women rebuild confidence and create opportunities for their voices and talents to be recognised. The project is made possible through the commitment of participants, artists, facilitators, museum staff, childcare providers, council colleagues and community partners, alongside funding and support from organisations including the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation.

You can help support Green Power by making a donation through our GoFundMe page. Every donation, no matter how small, makes a real difference and helps us continue providing creative opportunities and support for women on their recovery journeys.