The Holding Palette CIC

Who are we

The Holding Palette CIC creates space for experiences that are often difficult to put into words. Rooted in Trafford, we provide creative mental health and community arts support for local communities while contributing to Greater Manchester’s wider movement towards prevention, early intervention and creative health.

Our work is delivered through three connected strands: Clinical Art Psychotherapy, Therapeutic Arts Programmes and The Inkstone. Each strand offers a different level of support, while sharing a commitment to creativity, emotional safety, accessibility and community connection.

Led by an HCPC-registered art psychotherapist, our Clinical Art Psychotherapy service provides commissioned therapeutic support in schools and community contexts. We work closely with pastoral and SEND teams to support children and young people with more complex emotional, relational or psychological needs.

Our Therapeutic Arts Programmes offer structured, clinically informed early support for children, carers, families and community groups. Grounded in art psychotherapy and psychological theory, these programmes use creativity, metaphor and art-making as tools for emotional exploration, meaning-making, expression and psychological containment.

The Inkstone is our creative wellbeing and participation strand. Rooted in ink, mark-making, nature observation and collective creativity, it offers artist-led workshops and participatory projects that support connection, confidence, curiosity and belonging. This strand is non-clinical, but remains shaped by thoughtful facilitation, accessibility and community care.

Across all three strands, our aim is to offer meaningful, creative and carefully held spaces where people can connect with themselves, one another and the communities they belong to.

Why this matters in Greater Manchester

Greater Manchester is currently at the forefront of "Creative Health," driven by the official Doing Mental Health Differently (2024–2029) strategy. This regional vision explicitly prioritises early intervention, moving away from reactive care to support people before they reach a point of crisis.

However, the need remains urgent. Local data, including the BeeWell Survey, highlights a widening wellbeing gap:

• Teenage Wellbeing: Resilience and life satisfaction often decline in the mid-teen years, with young people reporting fewer spaces where they feel grounded.

• Gender and Inequality: Women under 45, LGBTQ+ groups, and those on lower incomes report disproportionately high levels of anxiety and loneliness.

• The "Creative Drop": While creative engagement is proven to support emotional development, participation often falls away just as life pressures increase.

The Holding Palette CIC was created to respond to this need. Through structured, clinically informed therapeutic arts programmes, we provide early psychological support that goes beyond “feel good” activities. We create spaces for emotional exploration, meaning-making, and the development of internal resources.

Our work contributes to a prevention-focused model of care by supporting children, young people, and communities to engage with their emotional world in ways that are accessible, creative, and psychologically grounded.

Please email us at hello@theholdingpalette.org.uk if you would like to receive the full version of our service overview.