The Holding Palette CIC

Who are we

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

We deliver structured, clinically informed therapeutic arts programmes that use creativity, metaphor, and art-making as tools for emotional exploration and meaning-making. Grounded in art psychotherapy and psychological theory, our approach goes beyond “feel good” activities, offering accessible, group-based interventions that support emotional awareness, expression, and psychological containment.

Led by an HCPC-registered art psychotherapist, our work bridges community-based support and clinical practice. Alongside our early intervention programmes, we provide commissioned clinical art psychotherapy in schools, working closely with pastoral and SEND teams to support children and young people with more complex emotional needs.

Across both strands, our aim is to offer meaningful, creative, and psychologically grounded support—helping individuals develop a more connected relationship with themselves and others within safe and carefully held spaces.

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.