An exhibition about play therapy and building relationships
Mark it in your diary! Everyone is welcome at the new Compensare: For the Swallows We Weigh exhibition at Eastside Projects, Birmingham in Spring 2026. This FREE exhibition by Marley Starskey Butler is infused with the experiences of carers, adoptive parents and families engaging with therapeutic play to strengthen relationships via Beacon Family Services. Set against a backdrop where political priorities and funding decisions continually shape access to therapeutic services, Marley’s art highlights how these systemic forces intersect with the lived realities of families and the professionals who support them.
Expect moments of reflection as you explore the space – and everyone is welcome to come along to a linked programme of free events and workshops, too. See details below.
Exhibition details
Public launch evening: Friday 23rd January 6-8pm (all welcome)
Exhibition run time: 24th January to 4th April 2026
Location: Eastside Projects, 86 Heath Mill Lane, Birmingham B9 4AR (see visitor information)
Exhibition opening times: Wednesday to Saturday, 12–5pm
Cost to attend: FREE
Booking requirements: None. Simply turn up
Compensare: For the Swallows We Weigh
Compensare is a Latin word which means “to counterbalance, to make up for, to weigh against each other”. It is the root of the English word compensate. The nuances of compensare are core to the work of Beacon Family Services in transforming the experience of families.
Compensare: For the Swallows We Weigh offers a blend of mixed media art installation and participatory events throughout early Spring. This exhibition is the result of Marley Starskey Butler’s research into how Beacon Family Services use Theraplay® and Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy (DDP) to support children and parents or caregivers, particularly in adoptive or fostering families in Birmingham and across the UK, to make sense of their family’s world and strengthen their relationships.
Speaking to the emotional, psychosocial, and political landscapes that hold balances and counterbalances for Beacon Family Services, the work uses elements of the language embedded in our therapeutic techniques, translating them through processes of observation, movement and choreography and generating new understandings and insights through iterative processes, layered prompts, musical composition and play.
Open to all and free to attend, Compensare: For the Swallows We Weigh is designed to:
- Reflect and translate therapeutic practice into art to create new understandings and insights about relational dynamics and their context.
- Prompt reflection and contemplation around positive action to support therapeutic support for adoptive families and care systems.
- Make visible the emotional, psychosocial and political landscapes that shape family support.
Programme of events 2026
Friday 23rd January – exhibition launch (6-8pm, open to public)
Tuesday 17th February – Connect for Kids Theraplay® Adventure for parents / carers and children (AM or PM one-hour sessions available)
February tba – Movement workshop for parents / carers and children
10th March – Artist Q&A event with Marley Starskey Butler and guests
Stay informed:
Follow Beacon Family Services and Eastside Projects for upcoming events and dates for your diary. You can also contact Beacon Family Services and sign up to communications to stay in the know.
About the artist
Grounded in lived professional and familial experience in child protection, fostering, adoption, and mental health, their work centres on themes of well-being, social justice, and human rights. These experiences inform both the content and methodology of their practice, positioning it at an intersection of art and social care.
Recent exhibitions and projects include Thirty-Six, Midlands Art Centre, Birmingham (2024); Hospital Rooms – Sandwell CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services) (2023/4); Dwelling, Eagle Works Studios, Wolverhampton (2024); Reclaiming Narratives: Voices from the College of Medicine and Health, Barber Institute of Fine Arts (2024/25); Reflector, The New Art Gallery Walsall (2024/25), Blast Creative Network, The Wolverhampton School of Art, Wolverhampton (2023); Picturing High Streets, FORMAT International Photography Festival, Derby (2023); Freedom, National Justice Museum, Nottingham (2023); Portrait of Britain, British Journal of Photography, Nationwide – JCDecaux Screen (2022); East Meets West, FORMAT International Photography Festival, Derby (2021).
About Beacon Family Services
We believe every child deserves the chance to thrive. As a social enterprise based in Sutton Coldfield, we support families in Birmingham and the UK by addressing the pressing need for early mental health support with relational, authentic, and inclusive services that have proven impact.
Our therapists and practitioners empower parents, including adoptive parents and special guardians, to build strong healthy connections with their children through therapeutic play and techniques including Theraplay® and Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy (DDP). Our evidence-based, flexible approaches provide parents, carers and professionals with the tools to foster emotional wellbeing and resilience in children, strengthening relationships and addressing behavioural challenges in a meaningful way. Families, Professionals and Commissioners and Funders of our services can click the link to find out more!