An art exhibition at Community Roots at Deepdale in Preston has proven a great success for exhibitors and attendees.
Artwork on display at the Deepdale Stadium events on 5 January and 12 January was created by people with a lived experience background, and included:
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Poetry
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Embroidery
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Stories
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Paintings
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Collages
More than 75 people attended to view the exhibits, which had been created by wards throughout the Trust, community members and people from a Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome group and an OCD group, as well as an independent group supporting those affected by suicide, called Beside You In Bereavement.
Sessions took place throughout each exhibition, giving attendees the opportunity to further explore their creativity and discuss their lived experiences.
Supported by the Lancashire Archives team, attendees had the chance to view historical mental health archives to reflect on how mental health practise has changed from past to present day support offers.
Feedback from attendees included:
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The range of artwork, poems and stories is very thought provoking and helped me to reflect on my own experiences
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Listening to the living stories was very inspiring. Having the opportunity to hear varying stories was good and a unique experience
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The exhibition made me feel accepted and validated many of my feelings. I find it hard to express myself, others have done it for me
Both exhibition events were led by Annabel, Sophie Dunn and Tyler MacPherson, with the aim of capturing different forms of lived experience to showcase how messages of hope can support someone’s mental health recovery.
Tyler MacPherson, Digital Marketing and Administration Lead for Community Roots, said: “We all have different ways of expressing how experiences affect us so we’ve been trying to capture that lived experience and how that impacts on people’s recovery journeys.
“All of the artwork that’s been submitted has been submitted by someone with a lived experience background, so for example through clinical diagnosis or through supporting someone else with a clinical diagnosis.
“The exhibitions have been absolutely fantastic. Seeing all the smiling faces has been great.”
More events are being planned and will continue to be embedded in the heart of local communities throughout Lancashire and South Cumbria.
Artwork is still being gratefully accepted by the team for anyone who wishes to contribute to future exhibits.
Find out more by contacting the Experience and Engagement Team: experience.team@lscft.nhs.uk
