Art & Soul are thrilled to learn that our founder Rachel Tranter has been awarded an MBE for services to Museums, Heritage and the Arts in King Charles' first birthday honours list.
We'd like to share a quote from Liz Sokoski, Chair of Art & Soul, reflecting on Rachel's exceptional journey:
"Since my time of knowing Rachel, I’ve witnessed her unwavering passion and wholehearted commitment to the arts and education. While serving as Head of Arts at London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, she dedicated herself tirelessly to the transformation of Orleans House Gallery, and her visionary leadership ensured that education remained at the forefront, ultimately resulting in the award-winning Coach House Education Centre.
In 1998, Rachel fearlessly pioneered Art & Soul, providing a safe haven for people to embrace art as a means of supporting their mental health—a concept ahead of its time, as mental health was often shrouded in taboo. Since then, Art & Soul blossomed into a registered charity in 2017, with Rachel and the trustees spearheading its growth and expanding its support to include young children during these uncertain and transformative times."
A lovely Art & Soul participant also had this to say about the news:
"I am very very pleased to hear about Rachel's award of an MBE. It is well deserved indeed. I hope sincerely that she will continue her work as a Trustee in the future. I have benefitted from attending Art and Soul for many years and her leadership with the events has been a guiding light".
Presently, Rachel is Director of Group for Education in Museums (GEM).
Congratulations Rachel, a well deserved achievement for all your hard work. Thank you for your continued support of mental health and emotional wellbeing through the arts.
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