Art therapy for mental well-being

By Sara Boult. Photos by Sarah Watkins.

With our mental health system under enormous pressure, Sara Boult hails art therapy as the understated hero for mental health wellness. By Sara Boult. Photos by Sarah Watkins.

Walking through the doors of King Street Artworks in Masterton, you’re welcomed by a friendly collective of artists. A diverse range of people of all ages, with the same common ground – touched by mental health, and a love of the arts.

King Street oozes history and passion. There’s an abundance of books and a reading nook. The walls are covered in a rainbow of artwork, ranging from; bright and beautiful abstract pieces, to life-like portraits. The shelves are lined with pottery, ready for the kiln. And a welcoming aroma of wood chips, paint, and clay fills the air. The studio is filled with chatter and laughter and it’s quickly apparent that this is everyone’s happy place and you are immediately a part of it.

King Street is a funded initiative, and has been in operation for 22 years providing a self-healing space for people in the Wairarapa who are, or have been, affected by mental health issues.

Run by a creative collective of talented tutors in the ‘creative hub’ of Masterton, King Street Artworks is neighboured by Aratoi Art Museum (where King Street has annual exhibitions to celebrate their artists and diversity), along with Con Art Gallery & Studios. With its inspiring location, it comes as no surprise that King Street is changing people’s lives for the better. The idea came from a similar initiative in Wellington known as Vincent’s. A mental health nurse noted the lack of follow-up with patients after a mental health crisis. Initially run from a garage, Vincent’s applied for funding and the first creative space for self-healing was born. Adopting Vincent’s philosophies, King Street Artworks shortly followed.

King Street’s philosophies and open-door policy is a recipe Studio Manager and Tutor Linda Tilyard wants to share with all New Zealand. “As soon as you walk through King Street’s doors, you leave the stigma and labels of mental illness behind. And you’re an artist,” she says.

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Unfortunately, 23 years on, even though occupational therapies and places like King Street Artworks share similar values, it’s still not recognised as a ‘health prescription’, says Linda. King Street has survived for 22 years on private funding and funding from the local DHB. Linda has seen first-hand how art has helped heal; “It gives purpose, a sense of identity - and a voice.”

I myself attend King Street and have found, there’s something about immersing yourself in a project, and seeing the end result. It’s addictive. Being new to the Wairarapa community, I was struggling to find my feet. Going to King Street Ignited a passion inside of me, it’s been a journey of self-discovery for myself as a person and an artist.

Along with being inclusive, King Street wants to remove the stigma of mental health, given so many in New Zealand society are touched by mental illness in some way, directly or indirectly. Viewing exhibitions at Aratoi, the public are often surprised at the artwork produced by King Street artists. There’s an unspoken stigma. There are many misconceptions about mental health, when in reality it’s an everyday issue for most people.

At King Street, participants are not only getting a free space to create, but freedom to be themselves. Along with existing treatment, a prescription of inclusive creativity could be just what some struggling New Zealanders need.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

King Street Artworks, 16 Queen Street Masterton Phone: 06 378 9777 Email: kingst@wise.net.nz www.kingstreetartworks.co.nz

There are around 80 creative spaces around New Zealand for mental health self-healing. See www.artsaccess.org.nz/creative-spaces-directory for an extensive list.