Poems on Prescription Evaluation Report 2025

This report evaluates the short project in spring 2025 ‘POP: poems on prescription’ funded by University of the Arts London CCW Public Engagement SEED funding (Learn and Grow) and BA Hons Painting Year 2 in partnership with Brixton Tate Library (Lambeth Libraries). At the core of this collaboration was the exhibition Painting and Poetry 2025 held at Brixton Tate Library and a series of related workshops around painting and poetry during Lambeth Readers and Writers Festival 2025 across the month of May.

The aim of the project was to explore the benefits of art and reading for local residents and library users. For this, the partnership involved a range of stakeholders: Brixton Tate Library staff, Lambeth and Southwark residents and library users, community groups Mosaic Clubhouse, Black Men’s Consortium, Culture Health and Wellbeing (tonycealy. com), St Vincent’s Centre Brixton, The Well Centre in Herne Hill, Camberwell College of Arts academics (Senior Lecturer Paula Smithard, Professor Daniel Sturgis and Lecturer Juan Bolivar), BA Hons Painting students, student friends and relatives, poets and artists and Grace O’Driscoll (Academic Support Librarian, Fine Art Camberwell College of Arts).

The methodology for this Evaluation Report has been guided by the logic model approach. Also, in the context section some of the influences and reasons that shaped the thinking and planning are touched upon. The purpose of the report is to document what has been achieved and how, consider the value and impact of POP for Lambeth Libraries service users, local residents in Lambeth and Southwark and Camberwell staff and students, what has been learnt and possible directions for future developments of POP