AI artwork sessions for mental health charities through the Undisciplined Spaces project
King's PhD researchers collaborated with mental health charities to provide AI art tools to people experiencing severe mental health conditions.
AI generated flying wolf using MidJourney as part of the Undisciplined spaces AI artwork project.
A collaboration between a team of King's PhD researchers and charities, Arts Network and Rethink Mental Illness, has demonstrated the potential for AI art tools to help people experiencing severe mental health conditions through a series of workshops and exhibitions.
The team delivered a series of workshops to people from the charities, whose work helps people with severe mental illness, where they designed artwork from user prompts using AI software.
The project is one of several funded through the AHRC Impact Acceleration Account King's Undisciplined Spaces programme. It is co-delivered with The Young Foundation, that partners King’s PhD researchers with local community organisations to co-create innovative engagement activities.
The AI artwork workshops were the brainchild of PhD researchers Rebecca Pericleous (Department of Music), Scott Williams (Department of Film Studies), George Oliver (Department of Classics) alongside Dr Joe Wood (previously of the Department of English).
This project was deeply emotional and unexpectedly revitalising for me. It allowed me to combine my non-academic life with the resources and possibilities offered within the institution itself, bridging two worlds that often feel disconnected and showing me what transformative collaboration could look like. This unique alignment of personal beliefs with institutional resources has left a lasting impression on me.
Rebecca Pericleous, PhD Researcher, Department of Music
When I think of 'my community', I think of other people who struggle with their mental health. I saw this project as an opportunity to help that community, but what I didn't expect was for that community to really help me. Getting to be a part of the two amazing organisations we worked with, if only temporarily, was an absolute privilege. The vibrancy, enthusiasm, imagination, and warmth of all the people at Arts Network and Rethink Mental Illness I had the pleasure of sharing this journey with will inspire me forever.
Scott Williams, PhD Researcher, Department of Film Studies
AI art for Arts Network
The initial project in 2023 delivered three workshops with Arts Network - providing members with hands-on experience using Midjourney, a cutting-edge large-language model AI platform that generates detailed imagery and artwork from natural language and written descriptions.
AI Prompt of a cat using Midjourney - Undisciplined Spaces
The programme concluded with an exhibition in Somerset House where friends, family and colleagues could see the artwork displayed.
Rebecca Pericleous & Scott Williams - PhD Researchers and organisers of AI artwork workshop - Undisciplined Spaces
We just wanted to say a big thank you for organising such a brilliant event last week. Our members and team enjoyed visiting the exhibition, and it was great to see the artworks by Rethink.
Thanks for putting together such a fantastic project. It has been a highlight in our programme for members and we would very much like to continue this collaboration.
Kate Price, CEO of Arts Network
AI generated man on stairs - Undisciplined Spaces
An extension to the programme
The project was renewed for 2024 and saw the team work with again with Arts Network as well as a further three workshops with Rethink Mental Illness – a charity that helps people with serious conditions like schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.
This series of workshops was probably our most successful in terms of attendance and engagement. The team at King’s created an event that gave the best possible experience to the participants.
Rethink Mental Illness
AI Generated 'revolt' - Undisciplined Spaces
Participants on: my favourite thing about the workshop was...
“It was something new!”
“The pieces it produced”
“Working together as a group”
“Getting to be creative”
“Experimenting and playing around”
"I didn't think I could ever create something like this!"
Sustainable impact and future development
The project generated valuable insights about AI's role in creative practice, particularly for artists facing mental health challenges. The combination of high-tech AI generation with live elements, including a musician providing atmosphere and an artist documenting the session, created a dynamic environment for exploring both digital and traditional creative processes.
This programme is testament to the ingenuity of our PhD researchers and our willing partners. The Undisciplined Spaces project has been made possible by the Impact Acceleration Account, and we’re delighted to be able to fund such interesting and novel ways of working with organisations to tackle real societal issues.
Dr Ed Stevens, Senior Impact & Knowledge Exchange Manager
The workshop represents a potential model for future collaborations between academic institutions and community organisations, showing how research funding can directly benefit underserved creative communities while generating valuable insights on how emergent technology can be used for social good.
A new cohort of PhD students are again working with community partners, including Arts Network, across 2025.
