Our Story
In the Christian faith, ‘Talitha Cumi’ or “little girl, arise” comes from the gospel of Mark.
When Jesus of Nazareth heard of the death of a young girl, he ran to her, took her by the hand and said, “Talitha Cumi”
"Little Girl, Arise."
Miraculously, the young girl got up and began to walk.
What does it mean to arise?
At Talitha Arts we seek to empower individuals through therapeutic arts workshops. We believe the freedom of personal innovation and creativity can build bridges of hope for lives that have been crushed by oppression, exploitation and abuse.
Talitha Arts was founded by actor and activist Amanda Root. It began as a small volunteer organisation, primarily facilitating arts workshops to International Justice Mission in India and working with professionals in aftercare homes for girls rescued from sex trafficking and violent abuse.
Over the years our work has grown to working directly with those who have experienced trauma, abuse, violence, homelessness; ex-offenders, refugees, children, and those who are living with dementia. We also regularly facilitate church workshops.
Our work is rooted in the UK, but has extended beyond borders. Talitha International is our cross-borders initiative. So far, Talitha is privileged to have worked with organisations in Jersey, India, and Bolivia.
Every year as part of our mandate, we train artists and therapists in the Talitha Approach. Our approach is 'person-centred', meaning it is tailored to the individuals we serve. Our practitioners are both professional creative artists, and arts therapists, who are passionate about the Talitha Mission.
The year 2020 marks the beginning of Talitha's 10th anniversary. The year has presented a new set of challenges for our organisation, but it has also presented enormous opportunity. We have launched an online Talitha Community, Talitha Canvas and our WhatsApp Prayer group. These are online forums where our community can meet, create and discuss while maintaining safe social distancing.
Like the roots of our organisation and each individual we work with, at Talitha Arts we are constantly growing, shifting, evolving - arising.
with love,
- The Talitha Arts Team
We work from a 'person-centred' ethos that enables and focuses on the individual.
Our Vision
We aim to respond to all invitations for therapeutic arts workshops whenever and wherever they may occur. We aim to be transformative, person-centred, and courageously creative.
Our Mission
We exist to serve individuals and communities by bringing restoration, transformation, and freedom to their lives. We believe in the unique value of the individual and offer unconditional positive regard and choice to all participants. We foster a sense of creativity and engagement throughout the process and believe in giving each participant the opportunity to go at their own pace in the context of a supportive, contained environment.