Open Up Arts Cymru

Calling all artists with a lived experience of mental distress!

I am sure that you are aware of the recent Time To Change campaign running across England to try and raise awareness of mental health issues and to tackle discrimination. As is often the case, Wales was not included in the funding provision and while England had £18million to bring this matter to national attention, Wales has not yet received funding to tackle this issue.

Wales is clearly equally affected by such issues and as an attempt to try and raise awareness in Wales, Open Up Arts Cymru is calling on all talented artists to produce work on the theme of mental health to stimulate thought, debate and show what people with mental health conditions are capable of and celebrate their creativity.

Open Up Arts Cymru was created by and is run by service users for service users.

Art is a positive creative outcome from what is often a very challenging and negatively perceived illness and through art it is possible to give a voice to someone who may otherwise feel disempowered.

While art therapy is a recognised and effective form of therapy, often people are unable to access therapists, but they are still able to engage in artistic pursuits on their own or with the assistance of other support staff. Art enables us to communicate on many levels and is regarded as a positive activity that can encourage and speed up recovery.

Art is a creative expression of emotion, and it is no surprise that prominent artists throughout history have suffered from emotional distress or what would now be considered diagnosed mental health conditions.

To name just a few-

Van Gogh, Gauguin, Picasso, Rothko, Beethoven, Handel, Karen Carpenter, Kurt Cobain, Lord Byron, Virginia Woolf, and Dylan Thomas - so you are in good company!.

To showcase your creativity and the positive outcomes that can exude from a diagnosed mental health condition, we are collecting artwork from all over Wales to exhibit the very best in the Millennium Centre, Cardiff, in June 2009 and hopefully at other venues around the principality.

We aim to showcase the very best in Art – from paintings, pottery, sculpture, photography, film, music and drama to creative writing, poetry and a range of crafts including needlework or paperwork. All other art forms are encouraged and accepted.

Any work produced on a mental health theme will be considered – whether it be a life experience (positive or negative), something that improves your mental wellbeing, or more challenging works that directly tackle themes of stigma, discrimination and perceptions of mental health.

You may not have time to produce a new piece, but may already have a suitable piece of work. All artworks will be considered but must be the work of the submitting artist.

In addition to your submitted artwork it is essential that you include your name and contact details and that a small write-up describing the significance of what the image means to you and what it symbolises. If you so desire you can remain anonymous (we will not use your name if you do not want us to) but we still need it to be able to contact you. We may not be able to use your artwork if it is not accompanied by some defining text.

Please do not submit original artwork - you will be contacted if we require the original.

It would be preferable if a photo or scan of the artwork could be emailed to –

Otherwise please send a photograph or photocopy to the following address –

All submitted copies cannot be returned.

c/o Abergavenny Mind Association, 45B Cross Street, Abergavenny, Monmouthshire, NP7 5ER.

We have compiled a selection panel composed of experts in each artistic field that will vote for submitted works, with the best being exhibited. All submissions will be put onto our online gallery that is currently under construction.

It is hoped that in the future artwork may also be sold, with the artist’s consent, and funds distributed between Open Up Arts Cymru and the artist. If the submitting artist is interested in selling their work please supply us with your consent of sale and we will deal with any expressions of interest.

This is an excellent and exciting opportunity for service users all over Wales to support Open Up Arts Cymru to raise awareness of mental health issues in Wales, and is an excellent opportunity for artists to have their work exhibited at at least one high profile venue and online.

I would be extremely grateful if you could bring this project to the attention of any artists with lived experience of mental distress that may be known to your services or your networks and if you could encourage participation in the arts and in this project.

Please see the attached poster and display it where it may attract as much interest as possible.

Many thanks, and best wishes,

Open Up Arts Cymru.

Open up is now supported by Mind Cymru and Mental Health media is in the process of merging with National Mind.