Barbara Touati-Evans

I am an illustrator, author and creative practitioner whose compassionate, hand-drawn work explores neurodiversity, mental health, education and the human experience. I have created commissions and talks/workshops for the NHS, Cambridge University, galleries and charities alongside work for children’s books and film development. I also host drawing workshops for young people and adults, combining creative expression with therapeutic practices to explore neurodiversity, identity, emotions and wellbeing. My workshops offer an accessible, thoughtful space to reflect, connect and communicate through drawing and making. I welcome opportunities to collaborate with organisations seeking meaningful, engaging and inclusive creative work.

I help people discover the wellbeing benefits of creativity through mindful art workshops.  The focus is on the exploring techniques that calm the mind, everything is abstract so there is no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’.  Sessions are suitable for beginners and those with experience. I encourage clients to leave perfectionism behind and simply enjoy the process of playing with watercolours, doodles and mandalas – although people love their finished pieces too! I discovered mindful art whilst in recovery from brain surgery, I passionately believe it helped me with mood, overwhelm, self-esteem, resilience and focus.  Mind Unwind combines my background of 25 years in education as a teacher and education adviser with my own lived experience.

I am a writer and a visual artist. I am passionate about intersectional inclusion and my practice supports people to express their identities and experiences through creative writing and visual art. I believe that story-telling through words and images is a powerful tool for building and strengthening communities. My skills include workshop facilitation, and event and project planning and management. I focus on creating inclusive communities, whether for a one off workshop or a long term plan. If you want to ignite imaginations and inspire empathy, I am ready to work with you. I am also a post graduate researcher in Creative Writing at the University of Portsmouth.