A group in Kingston is fighting against mental illnesses using art and music.
Mind in Kingston took over All Saints Church to showcase work patients have created, to challenge stigmas and spread awareness of the issues.
Kingston Mayor, Councillor Penny Shelton, opened the event as she is a strong believer in talking about the issues and also in what Kingston does for sufferers.
“[These events] are not only for people to see what people can produce when they’ve got some kind of mental illness but also for the people themselves who are preparing that and putting it on show,” she said.
“It’s good, it works well for the people who are producing the art work and producing the music.”
Joanne Chinnery, the Chief executive of Mind in Kingston, organised the event to show there are positive sides to mental health and people can talk about it.
She said: “Rather than the doom and gloom around mental health, promote the talents and celebrate. There are lots of positives and that mental health doesn’t define who they are as a person.”
Throughout the day, people from the town came down to see the art and experience music performed by people who use creativity overcome mental illness.
On of the artists, Sandra Totternell, volunteers with Mind and suffers mental health issues herself, so knows just how powerful art can be.
She said: “I’m actually living proof that art saves live. When there is no one else, nothing else, I still have my art. In the middle of the night when my wonderful husband is fast asleep, days when I can’t even speak to anyone because I feel to unwell, I still have my art.”
