CoolTan Arts believes mental well being is enhanced by the power of creativity

19/10/2010
CoolTan Arts
Unit B 237 Walworth Road
London SE17 1RL

www.cooltanarts.org.uk www.afunnyfarm.org.uk
Registered Charity No: 1064231 Company Limited by Guarantee No: 3244552

CoolTan Arts and Michelle Baharier shortlisted

for the RADAR People of the Year Awards

CoolTan Arts are proud to announce that the organisation has been shortlisted in the arts category
alongside Bobby Baker, Bobby Baker’s Daily Life Ltd. (2 Nominations), Cirque Nova, Lizzie Emeh and
The Other Side Gallery. In addition, CoolTan Arts’ CEO Michelle Baharier has been shortlisted as
Person of the Year: sponsored by IHG alongside Anne Novis, Dr. Nasser Siabi, Helen Chipchase, Ian
Martin, Nicola Martin, Parmi Dheensa, Stephen Brookes, Wycliffe Noble.

The RADAR awards, presented by the UK’s largest disability campaigns network, celebrate people and
organisations that have made real strides towards equality, empowerment and inclusion for disabled
people in the UK. The winners will be announced at a black tie dinner and presentation ceremony at
Evolution, Battersea Park on 29 November, hosted by Cerrie Burnell, BBC TV presenter, actress and
author.

The Chief Executive of CoolTan Arts, Michelle Baharier, said: “It’s amazing to be on a shortlist with all
these other people and organisations. As a disabled person much has changed in my lifetime but
discrimination and stigma are still alive. Therefore it is important we all become torchbearers of change.”

The Chief Executive of RADAR, Liz Sayce, described this year’s Awards: “Everyone on the shortlist is
helping to change our world in ways that benefit disabled people, our friends, families and society as a
whole. We have chosen ‘Ahead of the Curve’ as the theme for RADAR’s People of the Year Awards this
year as it is vital we build on the hard won successes of the last few years in furthering equality. Being
ahead of the curve on disability enables business to attract talent and customers and improves public
services.”

Other Awards categories include: Accessibility Award: sponsored by The Shaw Trust, Care and Support,
Careers and Leadership Award: sponsored by Microlink PC, Sports Award: sponsored by Lloyds
Banking Group, Stop Hate Award: sponsored by the Crown Prosecution Service, Technology Award:
sponsored by One Voice Coalition, Young Person of the Year: sponsored by Nuance, Broadcast Media
Factual, Broadcast Media Fictional.

Additional information:
Michelle Baharier is CEO of CoolTan Arts, an innovative arts mental health charity based in South
London. CoolTan Arts believes mental wellbeing is enhanced by the power of creativity. It exists to
inspire the wellbeing and creative participation of a diverse range of people through the production of
quality arts. The organisation is run by and for people with mental distress and aims to de-stigmatise
mental health through arts and exercise, underpinning its activities with advocacy.

Further information about CoolTan Arts is available from Kathrin Kirrmann, Communications Officer,
020 7701 2696 or 0798 565 8443, kathrin@cooltanarts.org.uk, http://www.cooltanarts.org.uk

RADAR is the UK's largest disability campaigning organisation, with a membership of over 900 disability
organisations and individual campaigners. http://www.radar.org.uk/radarwebsite/.