Good art helps us bounce back
8 October 2010
The creative talents of artists from Tamworth will be on show next week at a special exhibition to celebrate Mental Health Month.
Hunter New England Mental Health’s Tamworth Mental Health Service in partnership with The Sleepy Monkey Café and Billabong Clubhouse is hosting the exhibition from 12 to 17 October.
The exhibition is being held at The Sleepy Monkey Café, 403 Peel Street, Tamworth, with a special opening night event on Monday 11 October from 6pm. Everyone is welcome to attend.
Guest speaker will be artist and HNE Mental Health Consumer Advocate Yarif Freestone, who will speak from his own personal experience about the importance of friendship in recovering from mental illness.
The theme for Mental Health Month for last three years has focused on building our resilience and improving our ability to bounce back from set backs. The theme this year is ‘good friends help us bounce back’.
Rehabilitation Clinician Helen Carter said the art exhibition allows people in the community with an experience of mental health problems an opportunity to express and develop their resilience.
“Often people feel like all they have to offer is a mental illness” Ms Carter said.
“Art exhibitions like this allow people to see they are more than an illness and meaningful contribution to the community is still possible.
“Recognising where your strengths lie helps build self confidence, optimism and positivity about the future. And reaching out and developing a supportive network with yourself and the community is a big step in bouncing back.
“Being able to experience grief, sadness, disappointment or anger whilst maintaining perspective and continuing life with a sense of hopefulness is a sign of good resilience” Ms Carter said.
This is the second art exhibition by mental health consumers to be held in Tamworth this year, and next week’s exhibition will feature entirely new works.
About 70 people attended the opening night for the successful exhibition held at The Sleepy Monkey during Schizophrenia Awareness Week in May and hundreds more viewed the exhibition.
Contact: Frances Holz
Phone: 4939 2216