SCHOOL TALKS
With over a decade of experience working as a professional artist, alongside building creative platforms and leading mental health initiatives through Art Is The Cure and CreateScene, I offer a range of talks designed to inspire, educate and connect with students at different stages of their creative journey.
Each session can be tailored to the school, the age group, and the outcome you want to achieve — whether that’s inspiration, practical insight, or open conversation.
MENTAL HEALTH
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Creativity as a tool for expression and resilience
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Personal experiences and real-life impact
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Encouraging open, honest conversations
CREATIVE CAREERS
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How to actually make a living as an artist
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Breaking myths around creative industries
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Building your own path — with or without traditional routes
FINDING YOUR SCENE
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Discovering where you fit in the creative world
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Drawing inspiration from different creative scenes
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Turning ideas into impactful work
Sessions are designed to be flexible and can be tailored to suit your school’s timetable, group sizes and objectives — whether delivering a single talk or a full day of activity.
ASSEMBLIES / LARGE TALKS
A high-impact, engaging talk designed for larger groups or full year assemblies.
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45–60 minutes
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Ideal for assemblies or theatre spaces
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Focused on inspiration, storytelling and key takeaways
CLASSROOM
SESSIONS
Smaller, more interactive sessions that allow for deeper discussion and engagement.
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Delivered to individual classes or selected groups
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Encourages questions, conversation and participation
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Can be tailored to specific topics or student needs
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Portfolio reviews or one on one talks with students
WORKSHOPS / ART LESSONS
Hands-on creative sessions where students can learn practical techniques and express themselves through art.
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Stencil and spray-paint workshops
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Guided creative exercises
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Collaborative outcomes and take-home work
Every session is designed to leave a lasting impact — not just in the moment, but in how students think, feel and approach their future.
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Greater confidence in their creative ability and self-expression
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A new, realistic perspective on careers in the creative industries
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Increased engagement, particularly from students who don’t always connect in traditional settings
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A safe and open space to explore conversations around mental health
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Real-world insight from someone actively working within the creative industry
"Depression, anxiety, sexual/gender identity, bullying, mental / physical abuse, disorders and disabilities… Challenging conditions and circumstances can lead to a lifetime of pain and devastating consequences for young people in the forms of low self-esteem / self-worth, hate, harm to themselves, harm to others, substance abuse or worse, suicide. Working in public education as a visual art teacher / fine arts administrator for over 25 years I have witnessed too often the suffering from these types of conditions and situations. Youth are robbed from confidence, independent thinking, positive outlook and creative expression. Negative words, actions, difficult diagnoses, can further weaken a person into believing they are not good enough, damaged or worthless, preventing them from seeing the strong, intelligent and creative individuals that they are."
"Rich Simmons’ Art is the Cure is sanctuary! Beyond a digital portal it is a universal platform with cause, acceptance, and encouragement providing a creative connection to healing, learning, and expression. Art is the Cure mission is to build a community that believes creative expression can provide confidence and strength to overcome negative and challenging experiences in life. Art is the Cure is not just Rich’s story of struggle and perseverance it is a continuous saga of all of our stories. We have a brief and precious journey on this planet, everyone deserves the fulfillment of their life’s potential. That is what Rich Simmons challenged the student body of our small school in Northwest Arkansas to do during one of his trips to the United States. His visit made a lasting impact within our school and community. Students recognize that challenging circumstances and difficult conditions do not define who they are and that one person with enough confidence and courage can make a tremendous impact and difference. Thank you Rich for inspiring our students to use their creativity to break negative barriers and discover their cure to transform themselves into confident, artistic individuals who desire to help motivate others through creativity."
Aaron Jones
Director of Arts Integration
Arkansas Arts Academy, Rogers, Arkansas USA
Art Is The Cure CIC
Want to work with Art Is The Cure, contribute to the colouring book or interview series, have us as a guest on your youtube or podcast, or you are from a school and want to inquire about talks and workshops, get in touch!
