Cooltan Arts Gallery, Elephant and Castle

It’s a short step from East Street to Cooltan Arts Gallery. The mental health charity has a fascinating history of its own, acquiring its name from the first premises it occupied in 1991; a former suntan lotion factory in Brixton, south London. Since then, the charity has resided in various quirky premises before moving to its current home at Elephant and Castle in 2006.

“Cooltan uses arts projects to help people who have experienced mental distress,” says Michelle Baharier, Cooltan’s flamboyant founder and chief executive. “Over the years, the organisation has helped hundreds of people with mental health problems back into work and college.”