NEW EXHIBITION & LIVE EVENT

BEING SEEN - at the Cathedral

Being Seen: In Art, Words and Dance at Coventry Cathedral

A thought-provoking public event and exhibition inspired by testimonies of growth and personal recovery from trauma.

EXHIBITION of paintings : 29th September – 30th October, during Cathedral opening hours

LIVE EVENT Saturday 18th October 2025, 2:00–4:00 PM

Coventry Cathedral presents "Being Seen: In Art, Words and Dance," an event and exhibition about recovering visibility after trauma. It features paintings by local artist Andy Farr, inspired by trauma survivors, along with dance, poetry, and personal stories to show healing and strength.

The Exhibition: 29th September – 30th October

Being Seen is an exhibition by Andy Farr featuring paintings from the past eight years, inspired by personal stories of resilience and trauma recovery. It visually reflects hidden pain and healing journeys. The show emphasizes how being “seen” aids healing through shared vulnerability and connection. The exhibition aims to foster empathy, hope, and understanding, portraying trauma as both suffering and growth.

Supported by the Institute of Mental Health, MIND, Birth Trauma Association, With-you, Day One Trauma support, University of Nottingham and Arts Council England Andy’s work involves diverse individuals affected by trauma.

The Event: Saturday 18th October, 2 – 4pm

Dance, Poetry and Testimony performed in the Cathedral transept.

FREE to the public

“To be seen is something we all desire, but for those who have endured trauma, the need can feel even more pressing.” Susana, 2024 participant.

Hear the voices behind the paintings and see the stories brought to life through dance and video. This event blends art and narrative to explore resilience and hope.

The programme includes:

• Personal testimonies from Chik, Em, Mark and Marissa

• The premiere performance of "Transformative Pathways" – a new dance piece by the Restless Movement Collective, a Coventry dance group. Based on music by Justine Hewson

• Poetry Readings by local residents of works by Laura, a survivor painted by Andy in 2019 and 2024.

• Video installations featuring participants Skyban and Susana

• Paul’s moving tribute to his partner Elaine, an off-duty police officer killed in the Manchester Arena bombing. Andy painted her portrait for Paul in 2024 as part of Being Seen.

• Reflections on the importance of Being Seen by Andy Farr, artist, Canon Kate Massey, Coventry Cathedral, and Jaime Richards, Coventry Haven

All of the Artwork is still on show in ArtCan’s Virtual Gallery

The exhibition features work from the last 8 years accompanied by poetry, personal narratives and video that deepen the understanding of trauma and recovery.

The paintings are the result of collaborations with the Institute of Mental Health, MIND, Birth Trauma Association, With-you, Day One Trauma support, University of Nottingham and Arts Council England.

VIEW The GALLERY HERE

PRNITS AVAILABLE FROM EARLIER PROJECTS

PREVIOUS PROJECTS

INISIDE OUT: portraits of emotional resilience

I was commissioned to work with a group of people from across the Black and South Asian communities in Nottingham to explore their experiences of mental health and emotional wellbeing.

The paintings are currently on display at the IMH, Nottingham 

Portraits of Coventry

Portraits of Isolation

The Twisted Rose and Other Lives

What people have said about Being Seen:

Marissa Lambert, founder of With-you peer support Consultancy. “Andy Farr brings such care and connection to his work when supporting narratives of distress, growth and personal recovery. The exhibition will leave you feeling seen within our shared humanity”

Jaime Richards, Coventry Haven, “Andy’s work resonates with me, and I'm certain, other survivors”.

Heather Davison from the Restless Movement Collective. “We believe dance speaks where words fall short— and Transformative Pathways takes expressive movement as its starting point to embody Em’s journey through recovery.  This new work reveals the emotional truth of healing and how we can find ourselves again".

Andy Farr, artist “I’m continually moved by the courage of those who share their stories and allow me to interpret their journeys in paint. Through this work I seek to increase understanding of trauma, foster empathy, and inspire hope”

Kate Enters, Founder ArtCan "The beauty and power of this particular exhibition is that it enables the viewer to engage at a level that resonates with them. In my opinion it is a 'must see' - a chance to expand your understanding of potentially triggering and challenging topics through the universal language that is art. Responses from our virtual exhibition described genuine empathy: whether the viewer decides to engage with the work purely on a visual level or desires to use the visual as a path to a deeper understanding and exploration of the stories behind each work."

Lucian Milasan, Nottingham Trent University talking about the launch event in 2024 “It was a deep experience, heavy at times as expected, but also light when hope started coming through in people's stories which were ones of resilience rather than vulnerability”.

Dr Elvira Perez, The Institute of Mental Health (IMH) “Those that ‘donated’ their stories felt understood as if by translating their words into colour their sufferings diminished”. 

Take a peek at the exhibition catalogue here:

Transformative Pathways: In Art and Words

CLICK HERE to can see films of the event on the University of Nottingham website

Alongside the opening of the Being Seen Exhibition at the Institute of Mental Health last Nottingham many of those I had painted talked of their personal recovery journeys.

In the words of one of the audience:

“It was a deep experience, heavy at times as expected, but also light when hope started coming through in people's stories which turned out to be stories of resilience, more than vulnerability”. 

Breaking Free People's Choice Prize winners UK Artists Exhibtion 2023. I painted this piece for an exhibition at Galerie ART POOL in Vienna. I wanted to reflect on the passing of time since I painted my first Carousel horse in 2017 as part of my exploration of bipolar disorder.