Wakefield residents are wired for wellbeing
Service users in Wakefield will see their artwork on display at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park as part of a project partially funded by South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust’s Creative Minds initiative.
The Wired for Wellbeing project, led by arts–based organisation Faceless, encouraged participants to explore what makes them happy, turning their ideas into sculptures made out of aluminium. Participants explored form, scale and proportion and were given the opportunity to take part in a new creative activity alongside professional artists.
Around 300 sculptures, created as part of the project, will be displayed at Yorkshire Sculpture Park. The exhibition will be officially opened by Cllr Jack Hemingway at a special event on Monday 17 February at 2pm. Members of the public are invited to view the sculptures between 10am – 5pm until Friday 21 February.
Tony Wade, creative director at Faceless said, “We really want to encourage people to come along to the exhibition and view the work that has been created. People who took part in the project were really enthusiastic about making the sculptures and exploring what happiness means to them. It was fantastic to see people’s different interpretations; we have sculptures ranging from a cuddle to knitting and all things in-between.
“The project gave people a real confidence boost and sense of achievement. It’s even given a few people the appetite for creating sculptures; we’ve had groups of people come back to us to take part in more sessions.”
Phil Walters, head of inclusion and involvement at the Trust said, “Our Creative Minds initiative encourages creative approaches to improving health and wellbeing. It allows service users to take part in a range of innovative projects such as Wired for Wellbeing.
“It’s fantastic to see that so many people have benefited from taking part and found a real passion for something they may not have known about beforehand. Getting involved in projects such as this promotes health and wellbeing, encourages social inclusion and provides a sense of purpose.”
To find out more about the Trust’s Creative Minds initiative, visit www.creativemindsuk.com
