Our Mission Statement

We are a group of wellbeing practitioners, therapists, artists, makers, creatives, performers and musicians from a diverse range of backgrounds and experiences, with a common goal.  We passionately believe in the arts as a healing balm for good health and wellbeing . We believe in a philosophy of Art for All.

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Too often art and creativity are perceived as something  for people who are somehow born ‘talented’ or ‘gifted’; however we feel that art is something anyone is capable of, at any stage in their life, and that art has the ability to heal, unify, transmute and edify individuals and communities.

The psychological and somatic acts of painting and creating, whether it be with paint, clay, collage, knitting, stitching etc have been shown to calm erratic brain activity, soothe the mind to the rhythm and pace of the activity of the hands.

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Art can soothe an anxious mind, or enliven a depressed mind.  One may call painting or pottery a form of meditation, without the labelling.  The use of colour within art and craft is a form of colour therapy, knitting and stitching is a form of meditation through repetition.

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Dance is a great therapy for moving the body, shifting ‘stuck’ energies, and there is a correlation with movement and EMDR, (Eye movement desensitizing and reprocessing) a form of repetitive action therapy, devised to heal trauma.

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When people gather in the community, and use this to create together, a feeling of cohesion occurs.  Elderly people can reminisce together and this fosters far less social isolation.

Music therapy is very well known and is one of the most healing arts.  Listening to music has the ability to transform our state of mind quite profoundly.  In ancient China, one of the earliest uses of music was for healing and they believed that music had the power to harmonise one’s soul in ways that traditional medicine could not.  Using music alongside art is a powerful combination.

Photography walks with professional photographers are another part of our vision, as well as landscape drawing and painting.  This combines the great benefits of physical activity, combining exercise and creativity in community, fostering a sense of healthy living, engendering a new way of looking, through photography or drawing and just simply being outside in the fresh air, whether in nature, or urban landscapes or parks.

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This promotes social cohesion and a shared or changed way of looking at our environment.  It is said that if we lose touch with nature, we lose touch with how to protect it.  This is especially important for young people; as to connect with nature, perhaps for the first time in some cases, creates a sense of respect for the natural world.

Creating in community, through social prescriptions is a great investment in mental health.  It is our intention, at ArtsonPrescription.org to help foster a feeling of safe haven through creativity within facilitated workshops.  With trained professional artists, (DBS-checked and safeguarding-trained) craftspeople and creatives, who are passionate about bringing their visions to the community and to help vulnerable people, the elderly, adolescents, children and young people, people who feel isolated or lonely.

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We will have a trained mental health professional where appropriate, when facilitating workshops for people with anxiety, depression, complex needs, PTSD.  We are trained teachers, highly experienced qualified artists and makers, and can differentiate according to people’s needs and abilities.

 

We feel the arts often provides better support, both emotionally and physically than medication, when a simple activity can change and even empower the mindset of an individual convinced they are in a hopeless state.  The arts are a form of cognitive behavioural therapy.

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By changing our behaviour, we change our brain activity, neural pathways, build new communities and friendships and create newfound self confidence.  Helping people to feel that their lives have more options, possibilities and better support can ameliorate health inequalities within society; helping people to take control over their own health and well-being.