Portraits of Recovery (PORe) is a pioneering visual arts charity based in Manchester, inspiring and supporting people affected by and in recovery from substance use (Recoverists).
About Us
Portraits of Recovery (PORe) is a pioneering visual arts charity based in Manchester, dedicated to inspiring and supporting individuals affected by substance use and those in recovery (Recoverists).
As the UK’s only contemporary visual arts organization working exclusively in this field, we collaborate with leading contemporary artists, individuals in recovery, and recovery communities to showcase the human face of the recovery journey. Our mission is to break down barriers, promote inclusion, and highlight that addiction is a health, social, and cultural issue.
Founded in 2011 by Director Mark Prest, who has his own lived experience with recovery, Portraits of Recovery creates new conversations about addiction and recovery through the lens of contemporary art. We empower those in recovery to become artists and creators, fostering their cultural participation, demystifying contemporary art, and amplifying the voices of an often marginalised community.
Our Impact
Our key stakeholders—people in recovery from substance use—engage with and create high-quality, inspirational art as a critical part of their recovery journey. Our work is inclusive, activist, and process-based. Through culture, we build ambition and empower a stigmatized community to drive systemic change.
Our Vision
We envision a transformed society where individuals in recovery are empowered by the arts to creatively shape the world around them. Our philosophy, Recoverism, is an inclusive social movement inspired by Manchester’s rich history of social change, from Trade Unionism and Suffrage to the Cooperative Society.
What is Recoverism?
Recoverism reimagines the world we live in and how people and communities affected by substance use recovery are represented and understood. This cultural activism encourages collaboration and mutual support between those in recovery, artists, and the wider society, fostering a world where recovery is not just a possibility but a very real lifestyle choice.
Join us in reshaping the narrative around addiction and recovery through the transformational power of art.