Your say / Milestones Trust
‘It’s more important than ever we don’t lose sight of the value of the arts’
Leo Tolstoy said that the arts are indispensable for life and progress toward the well-being of individuals and humanity. There’s no doubt that the impact the arts can have is significant, but sadly, it is often underestimated, which means many miss out on the incredible benefits they can bring.
In today’s world, where we face many competing claims for our attention, it’s more important than ever that we don’t lose sight of their value.
Recent years have witnessed the emergence of a better understanding of the positive impact taking part in the arts can have on mental health and well-being, but further awareness needs to be raised. Through work supporting people with mental health challenges, dementia and learning disabilities across the South West, Milestones Trust champions the use of art as part of our care and support.
is needed now More than ever
Through art, individuals have the opportunity to express themselves, release emotions and meet new people which, complemented with the right medicine and care, can have a significant positive effect on their mental health and well-being.
Art made as part of the Expressions programme will be on display in Paintworks Event Space
Part of the support we have available for people who experience mental or physical health problems is our year-long art programme, Expressions, which offers access to different art forms through planned art sessions. The people we support have opportunities over the year to join the sessions that cover all aspects of creativity and experiment with different forms of art, from textiles to painting, photography to ceramics, helping them to find the art form that they feel most comfortable with.
The impact is outstanding. We see people really flourish, enriching and enhancing the quality of their lives.
The Expressions programme culminates in a public exhibition of art pieces created as part of the sessions and brings it to a celebratory finale. Those who participate in Expressions learn new skills, obtaining a sense of achievement, identity and pride as they get their work ‘exhibition-ready’.
This year’s Expressions event, ‘Opening Minds’ has a focus on sharing positive images of mental well-being and social care, and essentially it is about the effect active engagement can have on the health and well-being of individuals and communities, ultimately opening minds.
The arts are important for our spiritual health because beauty in its many forms has a very important role in each of our lives. It motivates us, lifts our spirits, and if we ignore this aspect of self, we can experience problems. Art is a way of taking something you feel internally, shaping something externally and seeing it outside of yourself.
It enables others to understand some of the narrative of your life and relate it to their own perceptions. Through creative curiosity, this helps us to develop self-awareness and explore empathy.
The arts can also help people to engage positively in community settings where previously they may have been isolated, allowing them to forge new relationships and access new opportunities. This can leave people feeling newly energised to take a next step in achieving goals, whether small or large, and sometimes even to embark on the next chapter of their life.
Milestone Trust’s Beth Hendry
Beth Hendry is assistant director of operations at Milestones Trust.
Opening Minds art festival will take place on September 15-16, 10am-7pm on at the Paintworks Events Space. It is a free, public event at which art pieces created across the Expressions programme will be on display, with a host of entertainment across the weekend including live comedy, music and poetry.
Visit: www.milestonestrust.org.uk/what-we-offer/expressions-arts-programme/
Read more: How can we make Bristol better? Come have your say
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