The ninth 'Design with People in Mind' booklet from the Design in Mental Health Network (DiMHN), to be published in June, discusses the impact of art in mental healthcare settings, and asks ‘To what extent can art contribute to the making of a therapeutic space, and what evidence is there to support this?’
Seeking an answer, the authors not only ‘trawled the academic literature’ for evidence, but also interviewed artists, some with lived experience, working in mental health environments, exclusively for the new publication.
Covering artworks ranging visual art to music, drama, and textiles, The Art Issue has been co-authored by DiMHN Trustees, Paula Reavey, Professor of Psychology and Mental Health at London South Bank University, and Steven Brown, Professor of Health and Organisational Psychology at Nottingham Trent University, alongside DiMHN Research Associate, Bethany Gardner, and architect and DiMHN Associate, William Wang.
The booklet’s introduction notes that famous 19th century textile designer, artist, and writer, William Morris, believed art ‘must play a vital role in the lives of all people, regardless of social standing and status’. The authors say: “Like many Victorian social reformers, Morris believed art should extend beyond the walls of private and public wealthy establishments, and bring comfort, meaning, and cheer to all, as well as communicate on social-cultural matters.”
Interestingly, the booklet notes, the Victorian era saw art ‘sometimes extended as far as the large asylums’, and ‘outsider art’ – i.e. art made by self-taught individuals ‘distant from the art world’ – became recognised in mental healthcare. The booklet says: “Sometimes supported by the institution, and at others improvised with great ingenuity by patients, visual arts such as painting were seen as a ‘window’ into patients’ mental health conditions, while asylums often used music as a distraction from boredom.” During the 20th Century, ‘outsider art’ became recognised as an art practice in its own right, and the rise of arts-based therapies recognised ‘the therapeutic potential for the visual language of art to assist in emotional articulation and healing’.
Printed copies of The Art Issue can be picked up from the DiMHN stand (600) at June’s Design in Mental Health 2024 event at Manchester Central, which takes place from 4-5 June, with an online version also set to be available for members.
The artwork is by Mark Titchner for the East London NHS Foundation Trust’s Bevan Ward, with the photo by Damian Griffiths.