Balmy Army

The Balmy Army is a new art, activism and mutual care project for young people, aged 12 to 25(plus), who want to get involved in a huge art project about the state of mental health care and be involved in trying to make it better for yourself and others struggling with mental health, their friends and families, and those working in mental health who are on their side.

Working together across Greater Manchester, lead by semi-notorious artist and activist, The Vacuum Cleaner, they aim to imagine and make real a simpler, kinder, easier to access mental health support and care, that Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services are currently prevented from doing with training and making by a trained artist who have their own lived experience of mental health struggles.

The team is lead by people who struggle or have struggled in the past with their mental health, or cared for their families and friends – they get it. As a team they are trying to make sure the project willl support everyone in a safe and comfortable way, no art or activism experience is required to be part of it. Everyone is welcome, particularly those that have been let down before and are scared of being let down again.