Men's Creative Space
Fabrica’s Men’s Creative Space is a weekly creative wellbeing group offering a welcoming place for adult men experiencing low mental health to explore their interests, build friendships, and find purpose through creativity.
Thanks to funding from The Ernest Kleinwort Charitable Trust and National Lottery Community Fund, sessions run every Monday at St Richard’s Community Centre in Hangleton. All sessions are free, drop-in, and flexible - you don’t need to book, and you’re welcome to arrive or leave at any time.
Activities include bookbinding, screen printing, drawing, painting, sewing, and heat press design. Some members like to join the main activity, others prefer to use the craft materials independently, and some simply come along for a cuppa, biscuit, and chat.
The space provides “shoulder-to-shoulder” peer support, where connection grows naturally through shared activity. Our focus is on doing things together, rather than talking directly about mental health - helping men feel part of something bigger, reducing isolation, and supporting wellbeing.
Join Our Community
If you or someone you know is interested in joining Men’s Creative Space, please contact us at [email protected]
Our Roots: Men in Sheds
Men’s Creative Space has grown out of Fabrica’s Men in Sheds project, part of a global movement that began in Australia in the 1980s to enhance men’s health through making and camaraderie. We first opened in 2017 at Brighton Youth Centre, later transforming an old tapas bar into a woodworking hub where men could meet, work shoulder-to-shoulder, and find friendship through making.
Although we have now moved out of that original space, we are proud to carry forward the ethos and community spirit of Men in Sheds into Men’s Creative Space - continuing to provide a vital, creative lifeline for men in Brighton & Hove.
Woodworking Opportunities in Brighton
While our woodworking programme is currently paused, there are several local alternatives where you can continue making:
The Wood Store - Volunteer opportunities in woodworking and reclamation
Brighton Community Workshop - Affordable, membership-based maker space
Good News Shed - A free-to-join, church-run men’s shed
Build Brighton - A fully equipped membership shed with workshop facilities
Making It Out - A creative social enterprise supporting people post-prison, homelessness, or addiction
Support and Acknowledgements
Since first opening in 2017, we’ve been grateful for the support of Brighton & Hove Clinical Commissioning, The Homity Trust, Chalk Cliff Trust, Chapman Charitable Trust, W.G. Edwards Charitable Foundation, Hall and Woodhouse, Paley Trust, BUPA, Percy Bilton Charity, Veolia, Suicide Prevention Fund, UOK, National Lottery Community Fund, The Focus Foundation Ernest Kleinwort Trust and Brighton Lions.
“I don’t have many other opportunities like this where I can just sit down and meet people. I’m enjoying coming to these sessions because I’m learning something new and it’s really nice saying hello and listening to the gentlemen talk. I’ve learnt new skills, printmaking, like lino printing and heat press. I feel there is a connection with art for me, drawing and that kind of thing, and now I can do other stuff too.”
