Visualising the Invisible:
Artists working in mental health
Recipient of last year's Stiwdio Safle award (2009), Karen Heald was Artist in Residence for nine months at the Ablett Unit, an acute inpatient adult psychiatric unit based at Glan Clwyd Hospital, Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board. Here she worked with resident patients who were affected by a variety of mental health disorders. During her time at the Ablett, Karen delivered a programme of workshops for the patients and staff, ranging from painting, drawing and creative writing to video/sound and photography, with artist mentee Jaime Kelly. Karen invited painter and Senior Lecturer in Fine Art, Susan Liggett to co-facilitate the painting workshops and to make collaborative works based on their shared theoretical interests. Visualising the Invisible features patients and artist's individual and collaborative artworks…
Based on experiences from working in the hospital the artworks featured consist of images of numerous small paintings on gesso board, a selection of photographs and several experimental short films. The films were presented as projections onto walls and on specific objects, such as the medical screens. The exhibits displayed rhythms, colours and trace, communicating ideas that the patients have been unable to articulate in the spoken word but expressed through their artworks. There were both therapeutic and collaborative elements in the production and editing of the art works.
The culmination of artworks from the Artist Residency featured in Visualising the Invisible (July 2010) were displayed as part of the Wrexham Science Festival 2010 and exhibited at Glyndwr University, which was itself a former hospital. The Ablett residency gave artists, Karen and Susan, the opportunity to converse with patients, and staff allowing them to further explore art and science collaborations and theoretical notions of 'in-between-ness.'
Karen is completing her artist's practiced-based PhD at Leeds Metropolitan University exploring ideas of time, sleep, site and being "in-between." Following on from the residency Karen has received further Research and Development funding to build on her PhD and collaborate with Susan Liggett (PhD) painter and Senior Lecturer, Fine Art, Glyndwr University, Dr Richard Tranter Consultant Psychiatrist/Senior Clinical Lecturer/Assistant Director R&D at Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board) and Prof Rob Poole (Professor of Mental Health, Glyndwr University). The title of this new research project is In-between-ness: Using art to capture changes to the self during anti-depressant treatment.
With thanks to -
Susan Liggett, Jaime Kelly, Tracy Simpson, Elizabeth Aylett, Dr Richard Tranter and Prof Rob Poole for their invaluable insights; Tom Rogers, Stewart Mival, Mandy Richards, Leah Baker and all the staff at the Ablett for their continuous support; Hannah Atkins and Aydee Latty for their inspirational sound workshop and their sound track on the film White; Rachel Breckon, for her surreal sound poems written in response to ideas based upon the creative writing workshops; Rachel Breckon and Mark Pierce who recited and recorded the sound poems; Rachael Kearney for her fruitful conversations discussing the design of the web site; all the sponsors who believed in the work; and most of all to the enjoyable hours spent with the patients at the Ablett Unit without whom this residency would have not been possible.
If you have any thoughts or feedback you'd like to give in response to the artwork and experience of this site, that would be appreciated. Please email Karen: info@karenheald.co.uk
