Dads’ art club
Art sessions give dads space to connect and reflect on fatherhood
Collage by Jake called ‘Fatherhood bends time’
What does a collage workshop in a Clapton pub have to do with men’s mental health?
They are both part of a bold, creative movement to reimagine how Hackney supports and engages fathers and father figures.
Led by local dad and artist Jake Garber, the monthly sessions give dads space to connect, reflect on fatherhood, and explore their experiences through art.
For Jake, the inspiration came directly from his own journey into fatherhood, with the birth of his daughter Bobby last year, who is named after his late father.
Jake says: “I felt excited but also very conscious of not having a dad to guide me becoming a father.
“In reality, people tell me that no one knows what they’re doing — so these workshops give people a chance to explore fatherhood and answer some of the questions together.”
Holding the collage workshops in a pub is intentional. Jake says: “It feels low-key, not institutional. People enjoy it and come back.
“When you work with images, different parts of the brain get involved. People open up, and step into conversations while making their art. And if they take those collages home and carry on those conversations, that’s even more powerful.”
Watch a video about the dads’ monthly art club
The sessions have produced moving, surprising and sometimes playful results. There are also the quieter moments.
Jake says: “Many of the dads are sitting with things you just wouldn’t know from the outside. For me it’s a rare space where I can be this open with other dads who understand.”
Jake believes this makes father-specific spaces essential. He says: “When dads have somewhere to process, it reduces the emotional load on partners too — it makes the whole household healthier.”
For Jake, personally, the project has been transformative. He says: “I’ve made a lot of new friends. Talking with so many dads has given me a greater sense of confidence as a parent. I’m not an expert, but being in that community reminds me I don’t have to be.”
Father-friendly borough project
The workshops are in collaboration with the Father Friendly Borough project and Hackney’s Children & Family Hubs.
By putting dads at the centre, the project tackles isolation, challenges stereotypes, and celebrates the vital role fathers play.
Local dads co-design activities and resources to keep them genuinely father-friendly, while building skills, confidence and community along the way.
Click here to find out more about the Father Friendly Borough project.