Caring for the Mind - Exploring Mental Health Provisions for Black Communities in Lewisham | Members and Patrons

Prior to the residency, I worked on a project called Healing Chronicles, that aimed at fostering conversations around mental health among Black communities in South London. I really wanted to extend that research as I thought that this subject was quite urgent and deserved more intention. Doing this project led me to question my position as a designer mainly working with people. I was particularly interested in getting a better understanding of the implications of participatory practices and what it means to actually design with care. To me, a caring approach requires you to be accountable for your actions, and ask yourself relevant questions about your intentions.

Cynthia Voza Lusilu

These last couple of months, I have been researching how design can promote positive mental health in Black communities in Lewisham. Lewisham has the 3rd largest Black Caribbean population in the UK, but it is also the borough in which I currently live. It was important for me to be very specific about the location and communities I am working with, as I was mindful of not essentialising Black people’s experience. My design proposal offers a solution for neighbors and community members to get together and practice active listening. With the support of the Voluntary Services Lewisham, a local community-based charity that delivers volunteer-led projects that reduce isolation and promote inclusion and wellbeing, I designed a set of tools including conversation starter cards for stimulating dialogue around issues of mental health and a wellness journal for writing reflections.

Cynthia Voza Lusilu

I am currently designing an online platform, BALM - Black Alliance for Lewisham Minds. The website will be launched next month on 10 May 2021 during Mental Health Awareness week. The platform will enable Black individuals, groups and organisations to access resources for nurturing confidence, resilience, and happiness. I have been working closely with members of the Lewisham council and I have been thinking about applying for more funding in the future to produce more toolkits and encourage more volunteers of African and Caribbean descent to volunteer at the VSL and connect with Afro-Caribbean service users. Ideally, the toolkits would also available for school students in the borough to encourage intergenerational connections.

Cynthia Voza Lusilu

Doing this residency under these circumstances was pretty challenging. My approach consists of meeting people where they are and creating dialogue in open spaces. The pandemic forced me to think about alternative ways to connect and build trust with people by going online and experimenting with new platforms. It has been difficult as well as I had to move house twice but hopefully, but I managed to stay patient and focused. I am looking forward to meeting some of the project’s contributors in real life soon.

Cynthia Voza Lusilu