News & Events

When it’s CLEAR …it’s not.

Dave Meneer visits 8 Cathedral Lane in Truro

“Oh, I can go all cryptic on the headline front after a journey in the pouring rain into an oasis of positivity and joy down a back alley in our Great Little City - Truro. 8 Cathedral Lane actually - slap dab in the centre of Truro . And I felt bathed in sunshine when I walked through the door from the rain.

“Now that happens most days in this unique place but today (27th November) and indeed until Saturday (30th November) it’s giving just a little of its selling space to its own wonderful contribution to “16 days of Activism” – an international campaign and call to end gender – based violence.
With the hashtag “no excuses’ – because there are none.

“They call it CLEAR VOICES - an exhibition of creativity and positive thought and energy, all produced by the people that CLEAR sets out to help every day. It’s unusual, assured, highly creative and unique because the people who have put this together are just that too. There is art, literature, poetry, jewellery - a rather unique, heartfelt and uplifting blend of ‘this is who we are’ and this is what CLEAR is. And how it’s helped us.

“CLEAR which runs this place thrives and runs on putting things right rather than dwelling on, and getting bogged down by, the wrongs. It is a charity dedicated to bringing highly trained skills and expertise to the troubled world of handling trauma and everything that causes and follows that.

“And this exhibition was put together by its ‘clients’ – the adults and children and those in between who have suffered trauma but are bouncing back on a CLEAR day to get their lives back and back on track.

“The art – paintings and prints and photography is what first grabs you and a vibrant calendar for 2025 too of course featuring many of these graphics. “ CLEAR voices through pictures” – every month a new even clearer voice from someone (typically young) with talent and courage on a difficult journey that CLEAR has made easier. And, yes, most of it is for sale; of course it is! No point having a shop without (modest…very) price tags.

“The photographs by Eiran Lapham have already appeared to wide acclaim in the book “ODES OF GROWTH” but here they are again, on the wall, big, where they belong. At the end of the book I stumbled upon a joy of a poem; just 11 lines, just 25 words, called “Ode to a Counsellor”. You don’t stumble upon titles like that every day but it fits right in here. And there’s prints by Victora Amy and yet more vibrant artwork by Nikita Midgley – a wall of it. Price tags too.

“Tiny but eye-catching and also by Victora Amy are bracelets hand-made of clay and wonderfully, uniquely hand-coloured and quietly adorned with symbols designed to support people experiencing distressing flashbacks and to help ground them, self sooth them and empower them. (Yes, no ‘e’ on the end of sooth and who am I to argu with an artiste!?) they’re lovely and yes, they will all be snapped up.

“There are Christmas Care packages full of all sorts of goodies and there are three truly excellent books – CLEAR CONVERSATIONS edited by Sarah Perry in which therapists who work with young people talk about their practice. Sounds dull, isn’t.

“Two other quite beautifully presented diary type handbooks are the SELF CARE PLAYBOOK to help you ‘feel peaceful, empowered and free’ and GRATITUDE – full of optimism and designed to move the reader gently from judgement to gratitude and to “blitz negativity’.
I rather liked that and the section on “Three parts of my body I’m grateful for’. I finally got to three on the half hour drive home and I suspect there may be even more! These two real goodies by Frances Verbeek; she’s big in yoga too if that’s your thing.

“I could go on. And I didn’t expect that I would. Get in there off the alley…sorry, Cathedral Lane…and check it all out for yourself – there’s lots of other stuff too. And lots of modest little price tags. Go on!”

Dave Meneer, November 2024