A new art exhibition is launching in Sheffield this week, showcasing works created by members of the local art workshop project ‘This is us’.
'This is Us’ is the culmination of a Sheffield-wide community art workshop project exploring people’s lived experiences of accessing mental health services.
The installation will be launching on Wednesday 17 May 2023, kicking off from 5:00pm - 7:00pm with a private viewing at the Central Library in Sheffield City Centre.
Launching to coincide with Mental Health Awareness Week 2023, the exhibition will be in place for public viewing for one month.
With a focus on mental health and wellbeing, seven different community groups from across the city have taken part in eight-week sessions funded by NHS South Yorkshire, that have helped people to express how they feel about mental health through the medium of art and written word.
Sheffield MIND Art Therapist, Karly Rayner, has worked with the groups to get them thinking about mental health, their experiences of using mental health services and how to access VCSE (voluntary) sector support in the city.
“There are some things that words cannot explain, and art gives us another way of communicating. Art helps people express their thoughts, ideas, and feelings while showcasing their views on what's happening in the world, or in this case, in their communities.” Explained Karly.
“The key themes to come out of these sessions are the importance of the community groups I partnered with to the participants and the cohesive power of art making. Art making within the groups helped make sometimes difficult conversations flow more easily and the participants got something back in exchange for their feedback.
“For me, one of the biggest successes of the project was how some groups decided to continue running an art group after the project ended, with the materials, they were provided by the This is Us project as a jumping off point.”
Dr David Crichton, Medical Director at NHS South Yorkshire said: “NHS South Yorkshire has worked together with local mental health charities and Sheffield City Council in our shared ambition to improve access to mental health services and reduce health inequalities across our region.
“Reaching out and listening to the feedback from our diverse communities, and understanding what matters most to them, is invaluable in our approach to developing local health and care services that work best for them in the future."
Greg Fell, Director of Public Health at Sheffield City Council said: “In November 2022 Sheffield City Council and Sheffield Museums facilitated a Culture and Health Symposium that showcased the excellent work already happening across Sheffield and South Yorkshire to improve health and wellbeing through the arts.
“A culture strategy for the city is currently a work in progress and health and wellbeing should play a big part in that. I know that being creative and coming together are powerful tools in supporting wellbeing, health, building communities and tackling inequalities.”