Mending Health: an exhibition exploring how arts can be used to increase wellbeing. The exhibition features artworks made by participants from two Faiths4Change projects run in partnership with St Andrews Dentons Green and Peasley Cross Hospital. Wellbeing Space, at St.Andrews, brought together residents from both settled and newly arrived communities on a weekly basis to benefit from conversation and craft activities; reducing social isolation and increasing a sense of community connection. The ‘Life In St. Helens’ quilt is made up of appliquéd and embroidered squares that share something about each participant's life in St Helens. Inside the quilt are thoughts, prayers and wishes written by participants and stitched inside the quilt layers to be kept safe. Wellbeing Space was supported by the Church Urban Fund, the Eleanor Rathbone Trust and Support For Asylum Seekers. Mending Health, at Peasley Cross Hospital, worked closely with the Mental Health Recovery team to provided art-based wellbeing sessions that shared and developed skills, using creative activities to build confidence, resilience and increase social interaction.
The series of canvasses was made by inpatients at the hospital who created patterned and printed papers that were then used as mosaic tiles. The second artwork was made by community outpatients who developed a group artwork; their canvas shows a person growing from a seedling into a blossoming tree and is accompanied by an original poem reflecting the journey of recovery.
Mending Health was supported by the Elizabeth Rathbone Trust.
For more information, contact: Liz Atherton, Arts & Wellbeing Project Coordinator, Faiths4Change.
E: liz@faiths4change.org.uk
T: 0151 705 2111
