Safety Net – 2021

In Manchester and Salford, an anonymous army of builders and scaffolders, all clad in hard hats and hi-vis jackets, has become a familiar sight. With large-scale construction projects unfolding on almost every street, these workers are an integral part of the city’s landscape.

But how often do we stop to think about the individuals behind those tough exteriors? The construction industry, like many others, faces a growing mental health crisis. In fact, it has the highest suicide rate of any profession in the UK. According to ONS figures, suicide rates among construction workers are more than three times higher than the national average.

In 2021, I wanted to raise awareness of this issue in a way that would spark conversation and make people pause for thought. I conceived and produced two large-scale installations in Manchester and Salford, designed to make an impact. Each banner, measuring 14m x 13m, was installed on prominent building sites: the old education board offices on Chapel Street in Salford, owned by the Diocese of Salford, and the Deluna Apartments on Oldham Road in Manchester, owned by Northhold Group.

The goal was simple: to stop thousands of passersby in their tracks and get them thinking about mental health in the construction industry. Featuring the powerful statement “There is no health without mental health,” the installations were meant to challenge perceptions and raise awareness. The Chapel Street installation was put up by Eccles-based Tunny Scaffolding Ltd, while the Oldham Road installation was arranged by Manchester-based Northhold Group.

There was a strong collaborative element to the project. The banners were sewn by young people from 42nd Street, a mental health organisation dedicated to supporting young people with their emotional health and well-being. Additionally, students from the Textile in Practice course at Manchester School of Art, where I am a senior lecturer, played a key role in bringing the project to life. The project was funded by Arts Council England.

By focusing on the construction and scaffolding sectors, these installations opened up vital conversations about men’s mental health in a traditionally tough, often overlooked industry. This project was not just about creating art but about breaking down the stigma surrounding mental health, allowing specialist skills to be used in new ways to foster a different kind of dialogue.

Thousands of people saw these installations as they passed through Salford and Manchester. My hope was that they would open up an important conversation about mental health in construction, especially leading up to World Mental Health Day 2021, and that the discussion would continue well beyond that.

A short video by acclaimed filmmaker Mary Stark provides a lasting legacy that has been shared with audiences far and wide and across different platforms.