Our Story
In 2007, visionaries Jill Purce, Rupert Sheldrake and Charlie Murphy and professional partner Peggy Taylor founders of US based Power of Hope, were looking at the viability of launching a UK programme, building on Power of Hope’s 15 year track record of bringing communities of artists together to effect transformational change for young people in the US and Canada.
Concurrently, Lucy Sicks, then working as an integrative psychotherapist, was planning to prioritise the empowerment of young people, embracing creative therapeutic approaches to healing, combining her training and practice in the mental health field and the skills of a professional career in the visual arts, latterly as Director of The London Art Fair.
Jill and Rupert hosted a group of individuals in Hampstead, London, and synchronicity brought Lucy and Charlie together via an introduction from Rosalind Pearmain, a colleague at Regents College, School of Psychotherapy. This founding group, included Rupert and Jill, Charlie’s husband Eric Mulholland, Antony and Sarah Dick, Ian and Victoria Watson, Rosalind Pearmain, Lucy Sicks and Nick Fothergill.
Inspired by a talk by Cosmo Sheldrake, a Power of Hope participant and a teenager at the time, the group collaborated on a vision for the launch of a UK programme to serve young people via creativity and arts, based on the Power of Hope camp model, to bring about transformation for young people in the UK.
Combining skills and vision, Lucy, Charlie and Eric, collaborated for 4 years, delivering the first Creative Practice training in 2007 and a pilot camp in 2008 with Lili Larratea as Programme Coordinator. Eddie Pratt, as LIFEbeat’s first Chair and a group of founding Trustees including Victoria Watson then established LIFEbeat as a UK charity in 2009. The rest in history so to speak…
Since that time, LIFEbeat, led by Lucy Sicks, together with a Board of Trustees and many committed individuals on the core executive team and brilliant creatives, have grown the LIFEbeat creative community of staff, volunteers and young people. We have continued to develop the programmes and expanded our training and programme offer to adapt to the changing needs of young people in the UK, successfully delivering Creative Community camps and trainings on an annual basis. Young people, who joined LIFEbeat in their teenage years, now lead programmes, trainings and Councils bringing their passion.
Today the LIFEbeat community acts an extended family to widespread networks and continues to thrive, nurturing and inspiring young people and adults throughout the UK.
Tragically, Charlie Murphy died on August 6th, 2016 following a battle with illness. His legacy lives on in the vitality and empowerment of the many young people who have benefitted from LIFEbeat and the professionals who have taken their training out into the wider world. We will always be indebted to Charlie and Peggy for their skills, their infectious passion for creating a more loving world and the creative genius of their vision.