Creating Space Art Therapy: A co‑operative home for creative healing

Michelle Baron is a freelance art therapist from Todmorden, who, alongside two other art therapists, became increasingly frustrated with the lack of appropriate space for working with clients.

“Quite often, when we work for other organisations, the rooms we’re in aren’t suitable for us to use,” she said. “We need to able to make a mess. When you’re in a carpeted room with soft furnishings, it doesn’t work. You end up paranoid about what gets spilled.

“We also need to access a range of materials, like modelling clay, paints and pastels – and you can’t carry around the full range of materials clients need. 

“We can often feel rushed too, because rooms are booked for a two‑hour session, but we need set‑up and clean‑up time, which reduces the amount of time we spend working with clients.

“All of us were feeling the pressure. It means you can’t always do the job in the way you want to, and you can’t always respond properly to people’s needs.”

So, they got their heads together to imagine an alternative: a purpose‑built, safe, mess-friendly space where clients could work creatively and where therapists could work without rushing or compromising.

The solution: Creating Space Art Therapy, a new co‑operative with a dedicated, accessible and values-driven space for art therapy in and around Calderdale in West Yorkshire.

Michelle and her colleagues wanted their new venture to reflect the values that matter to them – co‑operation, accessibility and mutual support.

“It can be lonely being a therapist sometimes. You have supervision but it’s different from being able to share and talk about things in a different way, so being a co-op enables this kind of support and collaboration.”

They found a bright, eco‑friendly room in Todmorden College – an accessible, solar‑powered, community‑run building with the freedom to use clay, paint and other materials without restrictions.

To help them turn their idea into reality, the trio reached out to the Business Support for Co‑ops programme, delivered by Co‑operatives UK in partnership with The Co‑operative Bank. They were appointed support from specialist adviser Mark Simmonds, whose expertise made a big difference.

He guided them through the essentials of forming a co‑op: choosing the right legal structure, drafting policies, shaping their mission, setting up accounts and understanding cashflow and tax.

With Mark’s support, they also created agreements for associate members – other therapists and practitioners who can use the room, offer training and potentially become members further down the line.

“We want mutual exchange,” Michelle explained. “People bringing skills and having a say in how we develop.”

When setting up, the team opted for business banking with The Co‑operative Bank. “The registration with the Co-operative Bank was pretty straightforward and we are all committed to banking with a bank that suits our own values and ethics, so it fits well with us.” 

They also used Co‑operatives UK’s registration service – significantly subsidised by The Co‑operative Bank – to register with Companies House. Co‑operative UK’s Advice Team assisted with drafting their articles, provided governance advice and dealt with Companies House on their behalf.  

With their structure in place, the practice has begun to take shape. Michelle has started using the space for one-to-one clients and for art-for-wellbeing groups – creative, supportive sessions where people can connect without stigma.

Their website is also taking shape, their network is growing and the co-op model is giving them the foundation they hoped for.

Creating Space Art Therapy is showing how collaboration, shared values and the right support can bring a new, accessible therapeutic resource into the heart of the community.

“It’s getting there. We can see it happening. The vision wasn’t just pie in the sky,” Michelle said. “There should be more co-ops. It’s such a valuable way of working.”