Kidstime: Threads of Resilience

On February 3rd, the start of the National Children’s Mental Health Week, PLP launched its Kidstime exhibition.

Devonport’s huge Market Hall spaces were adapted to show the creative work made by the two Kidstime family groups over the last 18 months. This was an opportunity to showcase their art, film and installation pieces. We used the displays to describe how these works came about and how our Kidstime themes and ideas had been developed and expressed over a considerable length of time.

Most of all, it was a celebration of the Kidstime parents and children, who collaborate to find understanding and communication about the challenges of parental mental illness. The exhibition showed an exploration of ideas about their brains and minds, thoughts and feelings, recognising the realities and pressures of their lives. They are often faced with isolation and stigma, yet this was a very public presentation of their thinking and their individual ways of finding a voice. It was a celebration of their vulnerability, courage and resilience.

The exhibition received many visitors at its opening events. It was encouraging to see Headteachers and schools’ staff. David Haley, Director of Children’s Services paid tribute to the families, after three of the parents bravely talked about their experiences of mental illness and the impact Kidstime has made on their families.

Dympna Cunnane, CEO of the Our Time charity, reminded the gathered PLP staff of key principles that underly the Kidstime model: the centrality of kindness and non-judgement and the non-hierarchical help that is offered to support families to find their strengths and to build on family love and loyalty.

The two-family groups met each other for the first time for a private view and a screening of the Kidstime film in Market Hall’s remarkable immersive Dome. Their reactions were very positive, and it was clear that many of the parents and children were wanting to process the experience of looking at themselves in this way. “I can’t really believe this is us...” was a much-repeated response.

It was a great pleasure to welcome previous Kidstime families, one of whom had been the originator of the Two Rooms installation created for this exhibition by our current families. It was a reminder that this has been a very long term commitment.

The process of putting on this event has also been long and often challenging, but this has been outweighed by many positives. We have found great partners: companies who helped with practical exhibition needs, and the outstanding staff of Real Immersive at Market Hall.

The greatest impact for us as the Kidstime team has come from the words of the individuals we work with. Their responses as we worked together over the last eighteen months became an essential feature of our exhibition displays.

“It helps me realise that I am in a group of people who can relate to the things I worry about. I am not alone”

“I like seeing what is in our children’s minds. I see things I didn’t know were there”

“We feel this is the only place that our thoughts have been validated and understood”

“The more I embrace who I am the more I embrace my progress”

“It helped me to recognise me”

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