COLOURFUL artworks designed to prompt conversations about mental health created by Wellways Art Group participants are currently on display at locations around town.
The Wellways Art Group runs during the school Terms - with each Term bringing a different theme - such as painting their representation of their mental health, exploring meditation, and appreciation.
The group also welcomes local guest artists, such as Julie Love who showed the participants ceramic techniques, and Collin Tenny who walked the group through a landscape exercise.
Wellways Early Intervention Psycho Social Recovery support worker, Bronwyn Margetts, said the group provided participants with a safe social environment to discuss their mental health.
“It’s not just a group where you come and draw, we’re exploring ourselves and our mental health, we’re looking at ways to cope with mental health better, and we’re getting to express how we feel and what’s going on for us through art,” she said.
“All the group is about is showing up, participating in whichever way you feel comfortable, and making those social connections again.
“Mental health can become very isolating, so it is about finding friendship and getting reconnected into activities.
“Often people will come to us for a little while and then they’ll branch into other groups that are in the broader community.”
Hanging proudly on the walls of Lemon Myrtle Café, the artworks use a variety of mediums to explore each of the three themes, with all pieces accompanied by a reflective article addressing the questions: what message would you like to share about living with a mental illness, what has the art group given you, and what would you like to share about the art work.
Ms Margetts said the aim of displaying the artworks in public spaces was to “initiate a conversation” surrounding mental health and to make the community aware of available local services.
“We want to connect the community to get rid of the stigma of mental health,” she said.
“I don’t think people realise that often these people will be someone’s friend or relative that you may know in the community who have just had a rough time or made bad choices and then that’s impacted on their mental health.
“I guess people make assumptions but some people have worked all their lives, some people have had jobs and then things have just come crashing down at some point for them so they’re rebuilding sometimes skills they already had.”
The Art Group was formed after Wellways successfully won funding through the Reimagining Health: A VicHealth Partnership Grant in 2021, with the group also being awarded an Australian Post 2022 Community Grant to continue the program for another year.
The initial grant was put towards materials, room hire, and marketing, with the group recommencing and being well supported in 2022 after COVID-19 restrictions eased.
Ms Margetts said the Art Group was probably the most popular weekly social activity offered by Wellways, with others including a coffee group and a walking group.
The art works will be displayed at Lemon Myrtle Café, Roxburgh Café and Hamilton Family Practice, with organisers hoping to hold another exhibition next year.
For more information on Wellways services, visit wellways.org/our-services