With Friday 10 October marking World Mental Health Day, community group, Lothians Speak Their Name, have shared the ‘powerful’ effect that art has had since the passing of their loved ones.
A recent survey by the National Galleries of Scotland found that 84% of total visitors to the galleries felt their visit had a positive impact on their wellbeing.
Co-director of Lothians Speak Their Name, Sue Henderson, says she has seen and experienced first-hand the positive impact art can have on mental health.
The group, which was originally set up to create a quilt in memory of people who have died by suicide in Edinburgh and the Lothians, have been regularly visiting exhibitions and displays at the National Galleries of Scotland ever since.
Having visited for almost a year, Sue shares how it has been an incredibly valuable experience for helping the group to navigate their loss.
Sue said: “We have loved coming to the galleries so much, for some it has been powerfully beneficial.
“The tours, led by Duncan Robertson at the National Galleries of Scotland, are brilliant, for that short time it allows people to just disconnect from all the pain of their grief. It gives a moment of distraction.
“There are people in our group who never came to the gallery before, they didn’t think it was for them, but to see the impact it has on them is just incredible. Whether listening to the amazing stories of the art or just getting lost for a moment, it really can have healing powers.
“Seeing the effect it has on members of the group is so striking. One woman who lost her son to suicide, got completely lost in the art and it gave her a moment of relief from the day to day pain.
“I had never seen it be so demonstrable before, the power of art and how it can offer a distraction from the worst imaginable grief. People in the group have shared how the art can take them out of themselves and what a beautiful distraction it is.”
Art plays a significant role in enhancing mental health by providing therapeutic benefits, fostering emotional expression, and promoting overall well-being. It has been proven that art can evoke feelings of joy, nostalgia or even sadness, which can be therapeutic for individuals dealing with mental health challenges.
Over the past 20 years research on the impact of the arts on health has been growing and in 2019 the World Health Organization (WHO) published a report called ‘What is the evidence on the role of the arts in improving health and well-being?’.
The report looked at over 3000 studies from around the world which concluded that the arts play a major role in preventing and managing health. It identified the contribution that the arts may have in promoting good health and health equity, preventing illness, and treating acute and chronic conditions across the life-course.
This has launched further studies by WHO and the Jameel Arts & Health Lab in 2023 on the health benefits of the arts. As well as the Lancet Global Series Photo Essay which findings re-iterate the crucial importance of creativity within the sphere of health, and the evidence-based health benefits catalysed by imagination.
Research by the John Hopkins University School of Medicine even found that spending just 30 minutes in an art gallery once a month could extend your life expectancy by 10 years.
Siobhan McConnachie, Head of Learning and Engagement at National Galleries of Scotland said: ‘We are fortunate that we get to see the positive effect that art can have on people every single day in the gallery.
“But we know, and research shows, that art can do more than just put a smile on our faces, it can have real lasting impact on overall mental and physical health.
“We regularly welcome groups supporting people living with dementia, addiction recovery groups, health and wellbeing groups, mental health communities and so much more.
“It is important that art is considered holistically as a tool that can be used for early intervention and social prescribing in health, education and social care sectors.
“The power of art is truly incredible, and we are so delighted to have groups like Lothians Speak Their Name feel that in our galleries.’
Sue shared how the group have benefited from using art as a tool to connect with other people who are going through similar experiences. Brought together to make the memorial quilt, 49 people have made squares in memory of their loved ones, which hold the stories of their loves and lives.
As well as creating this beautiful memorial, it has brought people together as a community, where they’ve found support and friendship.
Sue added: “Our group was born out of the idea of making a quilt which remembers those we loved. Each square would represent someone in a positive way who was loved and lost, whether it included the things they loved or a fond memory of them.
“Some people in the group had never done anything like this but everyone felt how therapeutic it was to focus on something positive about their loved ones lives.
“There is something about being involved in a group activity together, whether creating the quilt or visiting the galleries. In the group everyone has experience of loss but that wasn’t the always the focus when we got together, the focus was also on creativity.
“There was never any pressure to talk about our losses. But what we found was that when everyone was distracted making their squares or looking at the art, conversations happened a lot more easily because the art was offering something else to focus on at the time.
“Often memories come with nothing but pain, but using art and creativity allowed everyone to remember the things they loved about the person, or to remember the good times.
“There are of course people who would come along, and they would never talk about their loss and that was okay too, because they still got to be in a room of people who understood what they were going through and that was support enough. They could come along and just immerse themselves in the task of creating the square.
“It was after we started making the squares that we reached out the galleries, and they offered us tours of exhibitions and displays. This just opened a whole new level of what we were doing. Some members of the group got really immersed in the visits and seeing the art offered inspiration.
“People have re-discovered their creative side and found a way to express themselves.
“Whether seeing or doing art I do believe it has a healing power. The fact we get to see the positive effect it can have on people is what I love most about this, it is an absolute privilege. So, I do really believe that art can be empowering for people dealing with mental health.”
The completed quilt has been touring around various locations in hope is that the individuals and lives it remembers will inspire viewers to start conversations about mental health and suicide and to reach out if they themselves are struggling.
It is currently one of 11 quilts on display at an exhibition in the Houses of Parliament in London.
If interested in getting involved in creating a square, please contact:
lothianspeaktheirname@gmail.com
As well as running regular tours for groups such as Lothians Speak Their Name, National Galleries of Scotland also warmly invites community groups, care homes and charities to book free visits to the galleries at a time that suits them.
Activities include guided tours of the collection and exhibitions, online art discussions, dementia-friendly sessions with specific themes, and bespoke tours tailored to the needs of each group