AN artist in residence will work with young people as part of a North-East project to combat the stigma of mental illness.

Artist Laura Degnan will work with the Youth Speak group on Teesside for 10 months from January.

It follows a successful bid by the Mental Health Research Group for the Leverhulme Trust artist in residence grant.

MHRG is a joint Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust (TEWV) and Durham University group based at Durham University’s Stockton campus.

The group, in collaboration with Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art (MIMA), has been awarded the grant for its mental health research for its Youth Speak programme.

The MHRG research team’s work focuses on the prevention of mental illness and early intervention if people become ill.

Youth Speak works with young people with and without mental health experience.

As a collaborative filmmaker and resident artist, Laura has been involved in the production of more than 400 new pieces of work including short films, novels, plays, radio plays, sketch shows, and fanzines.

She has devised events including physical story trails, fast filmmaking, story challenges, and collaborative storytelling events.

Laura, who is from Middlesbrough, will split her time between Durham University and MIMA working to bring together young people, doctors, nurses, researchers, and students to identify ways to tackle images and portrayals of mental health stigma.

Alistair Hudson, MIMA director, said “It is vital that MIMA takes a role in collaborative projects such as this and involves itself in all aspects of civic life – working to make art and artists useful in society.”

The Leverhulme Trust is one of the largest providers of research funding in the UK, distributing over £60m a year.