NotSafeForTreatment

We had a few prompts on the table with 3 activities but people were also able to just use the time to discuss, create or just be in the space around people who had experienced mental health care, whether they were staff, service users, carers or worked in the VCSE (Voluntary, charity and social enterprise) sector.

The 3 prompt sheets and collaborative pieces were:

We were so so proud of all the interaction, discussions and supportive space that organically formed whilst making work. Some people knew each other but also supported people that were new to the project which was so nice to see.

We collected the work up at the end of each day and were able to talk about our pieces together and showcase all the different bits of work. These would then go into our exhibition.

This weekend marked a crucial milestone for us in terms of widening our scope and the people that found making artwork about their experience beneficial. People who attended said that they felt comfortable and safe creating artwork with others who may have had similar experiences. They enjoyed making work and hoped that the public who came to view the exhibition might gain some more understanding of the mental health system. We could see a three-fold benefit when facilitating the workshops.

One being the benefit to the public who may come to view the work,

Two: For the artists, the process of creating work about an experience that may in other words or means have been inaccessible to explain or communicate. A sense of feeling hopeless, a failure or unheard, hopefully felt less isolated, and ultimately proud of the pieces they had created, to turn something that may have started as a negative into a more positive.

We would love to make these a longer term and more frequent thing but it can be tricky with our own mental health struggles. However, we are working on the idea of maybe doing monthly remote video creative sessions, so watch this space!

F and L xxx