Art has always been a way to express what words can’t – whether that’s joy, grief, or something in between. At Kairos Arts, this belief characterises everything they do. The small, local charity offers rich therapeutic arts programmes for people who have experienced trauma, supporting them as they process their emotions and rediscover their sense of self. Through one-to-one sessions with young people, and group workshops with clients of all ages, the Kairos team uses movement, poetry, music, and visual art to create a piece that helps people express and process their emotions.
Their name comes from the ancient Greek word kairos, translating to ‘opportunity,’ ‘season,’ or ‘fitting time.’ It’s an apt title – a moment in time when something of significance occurs; a transforming opportunity, a breakthrough moment, full of hope. While the team members don’t offer clinical diagnoses, they do offer a life-altering opportunity for people to reconnect with themselves and others. “I was blown away by the exploration of self I experienced and how I was able to shift something within me,” one participant shared. Speaking of the welcoming environment, another said, “there are no wrongs or rights – just create what you feel with no judgement.”
In addition to their work on-island, the women at Kairos extend their impact through international outreach. They support vulnerable women who have experienced exploitation by partnering with established charities in Bolivia and India, visiting annually to run therapeutic creative arts programmes and community-building. They also support freedom businesses – organisations that empower women through sustainable income, independence, and a path to dignity via ethical employment and skill development. These ethically made products are purchased and resold in Jersey, and include handmade soaps and saris repurposed into beautiful bags and notebooks.
We reached out to the women who bring care and creativity to Kairos each day, asking them to share the names of the artists who keep their inspiration flowing.
Kairos Arts works in partnership with FREEDA, JDAS, JAAR, Brighter Futures, Macmillan, Hospice, and local schools to provide therapeutic arts workshops. For more information about the work they do visit their website below.
Rae de la Haye: Community Outreach Assistant
THE ARTIST I LOVE IS…
Picasso – I love how he broke all the rules while also still being so embedded in them. I also love how he explored many different artistic mediums, such as painting, sculpture and clay.
Debbie Jones: Therapeutic Arts Practitioner
THE ARTIST I LOVE IS…
Henri Matisse – I love the energy in his work. How he saw colour and pattern in the world around him and brought it to life on the canvas. Matisse makes the viewer rethink the ordinary and the everyday, bringing a new perspective to a way of seeing life. He inspires me to appreciate God’s creative world in all its splendor and colour.
Pam Witthoft: Operations Director
THE ARTIST I LOVE IS…
Ed Sheeran.
Suzanne Le Marquand: Therapeutic Arts Practitioner.
THE ARTIST I LOVE IS…
Sarah Stokes – Watercolour artist in Worcester. As I try to master techniques in this medium, I find her workshops and on-line guides tremendously helpful. I love that her finished pieces (mainly animals and birds) look so realistic and that would be my ultimate aim. I have a long way to go!
Gillian Caie: Therapeutic Arts Practitioner
THE ARTIST I LOVE IS…
Claude Monet – I just love his painting style.
Helen Higginson: Safeguarding Lead.
THE ARTIST I LOVE IS…
David Hockney – He was from Bradford, where I was born.
Donna Vibert: Therapeutic Art Practitioner
THE ARTIST I LOVE IS…
2 Johns – My favorite photographer. A lot of their work is on our walls, which is particularly precious as my son died 9 years ago.
Mandy Lawson: DA Drop in Facilitator
THE ARTIST I LOVE IS…
Marianne North – Not only the most gifted botanical artist of great precision and detail, she was a huge pioneer for single women in Victorian age, travelling the world unaccompanied, venturing into unknown territory and discovering previously unknown species of plants through her complete commitment and passion for painting.
Kelly Eastwood: Therapeutic Art Practitioner
THE ARTIST I LOVE IS…
Salvador Dali – I am particularly drawn to the surrealist movement because it explores the subconscious and the non-verbal realms. This resonates deeply with my interest in emotional expression beyond words. Dali’s work has had a profound influence on me, especially in my love for automatic drawing, as a way to access inner thoughts and feelings without censorship.
kairosarts.org
