Bounce and Anstee Bridge Collaborate on Mental Health and Art Initiative

Bounce is proud to have produced a powerful new project that has brought together creativity and  mental health awareness together  to explore what it means to be a teenager today. 

We produced an artistic residency at Anstee Bridge, an alternative education provision where young people who face social, emotional, and mental health challenges preventing them from attending school receive holistic support. 

Working with Anstee Bridge students, artists created a series of art installations centred around the teenage brain and their bedrooms - the personal spaces where emotions are often most raw and real. Through these installations, they explored the idea of hope as the bridge to happiness.

As part of the project, Bounce Theatre was commissioned to develop a journal for young people whose emotional health is preventing them from learning the house or attending schools. Louise worked with Anstee Bridge founder Katherine Greening to reimagine the Anstee Bridge story as a journey of comfort, connection, creativity, choice, community, and communication. We centred each section of the book around these themes, offering low demand creative activities to encourage young people to begin their journey into Anstee Bridge. 

The pair went one step further and wrote an accompanying book for parents to understand the Anstee Bridge ethos. Louise said, "We thought it was important to recognise the impact on the whole family, so wanted to write something that helped parents navigate their own feelings whilst supporting their child." 

"Taking the books into homes has been amazing", said Katherine, "it feels like giving a gift - something meaningful and practical that young people can hold onto. But more than that, it leaves behind a message of hope and shows that we are there for them."

The project will culminate in a special graduation event, where the students’ art installations will be proudly showcased to celebrate their achievements, creativity, and courage in July 2025.