On the 7th of December 2024, we came together to celebrate a milestone: the Healing Hearts with Art Christmas Event. This event marked the conclusion of PBIC’s Healing Hearts with Art Project, funded by the UK Prosperity Fund via Bedford Borough Council.

Since the summer, this project has been a vibrant part of PBIC, offering art workshops in partnership with Art School Tsymbal and musical workshops for children in partnership with John Paul II School in Bedford. These sessions created an inclusive space for participants to explore their creativity, form meaningful connections, and find moments of relaxation—all without the stress of financial barriers.

A Community United Through Creativity

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The Healing Hearts with Art project has been more than just workshops; it has been a testament to the power of art to bring people together, heal, and inspire. Over the past few months, attendees have painted, sculpted, crafted floral compositions, and more. These creative sessions have fostered an atmosphere of kindness, support, and hope, particularly for members of the community facing challenging times.

The feedback we have received speaks volumes about the impact of this initiative, with attendees sharing their thoughts on PBIC’s google reviews:

“I want to sincerely thank Maria and Serhii Tsymbal for the wonderful Saturday mornings that you and I spend at PBIC. A pleasant atmosphere of goodness and sincerity, humanity gives us strength for the whole week! This is so important for Ukrainians now. And we also learn to create beautiful things with our own hands: paintings, bouquets, clay pots, fabrics. We will be very grateful if such meetings continue next year as well!”

“My children and I were so excited to take part in ART-therapy class with the support of PBIC and « ART School Tsymbal »! It was an amazing experience of creating floral craft composition! Such an inspiring crafting where you are in touch with natural dry flowers, wood, shells, and etc. Please, please, let’s continue such a wonderful initiative!”

A Festive Farewell, A Hopeful Future

While this marks the end of the Healing Hearts with Art Project, its legacy will live on in the connections it fostered and the inspiration it sparked. We’re grateful to the UK Prosperity Fund and Bedford Borough Council for making this initiative possible.

To everyone who participated, supported, and contributed to the success of this project: thank you.