Bright Sparks Transforms The Balcony Gallery for ‘All Together’
Attenborough Arts Centre is very proud to be hosting mental health arts group Bright Sparks for the exhibition ‘All Together’.
The launch, which happened on Wednesday 14th September at 2pm was well attended, with visitors enjoying the medley of colour, materials and narratives depicted. Gathering in Studio 3, many of the artists behind the show came together and celebrated the exhibition over a samosa, soft drinks and good vibes. There were many more artworks to discover in studio 3, including a wall of vibrant pieces which contained unique responses to the theme self love. Performances by artists also filled the room with a sense of joy and community, delivering narratives, spoken word and songs from the heart, inviting others also to take part.
Caption: Visitors of the opening came together to see the artworks, enjoy a snack and experience live performances by creatives of Bright Sparks.
‘All Together’ is a pertinent display which showcases the positive affect that creativity and the arts can have on people’s mental health. The artworks bring in conversation around mental health and identity, a pertinent topic considering the isolation faced by many during the pandemic.
Over 20 individual creatives plus arts and wellbeing groups submitted work to take part in ‘All Together’. This is no ordinary display, with works exploring the theme using written word, collage, painting, drawing, patchwork, photography and many more approaches.
The show is both a celebration of what brings the group together while celebrating individuality and is the 21st annual open exhibition by Bright Sparks. ‘All together’ is the culmination of artworks resulting from ArtSpace weekly workshops. Delivered by Bright Sparks, ArtSpace provides a safe space for artists experiencing mental health and social exclusion issues to be creative and be part of a community.
Bright Sparks holds a public exhibition every year, each with a unique theme. Themes are decided as a collaborative effort from people who join in with Bright Sparks to provide inspiration, while still also encouraging artwork created which is beyond the theme by mental health service users.
Interested in taking part or want further information? Contact Bright Sparks to learn more about the project or to be part of the 22nd ArtSpace annual open. The group is led by Tim Sayers, an Arts in Mental Health Co-ordinator at Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust who has a huge passion for supporting mental health through creativity. ArtSpace has been running workshops for over 12 years where creatives get together every Wednesday to make art. Workshops are led by tutors, guiding creatives through specific processes and techniques . Past projects have included illustrating poems, making mandalas in print and self portraits constructed of collage.
Caption: A Close Up of a patchwork quilt titled ‘All Sewn Up’ which was produced by 15 members of the stitching well group at Loughborough Wellbeing Centre. The patchwork is made up of recycled and waste fabrics and threads and features motifs of togetherness in its design.
Don’t miss out – the exhibition is on until Friday 21st October within the balcony gallery of Attenborough Arts Centre. Many of the artworks are also available to purchase, supporting local, independent creatives to sustain their creative practices.
Want to get creative? Why not sign up to one of our fantastic creative courses. From Handmade Christmas Workshops to Portrait painting, we have a varied and exciting programme of events with something for absolutely everyone.
