Arts on Prescription programme
Artist-led course for adults living with health challenges.
When
May - July 2025
Where
York House, Stony Stratford, Milton Keynes
Duration
10 weeks
For the latest information please contact us on
info@artsforhealthmk.org.uk or 01908 996124
May - July 2025
Where
York House, Stony Stratford, Milton Keynes
Duration
10 weeks
For the latest information please contact us on
info@artsforhealthmk.org.uk or 01908 996124
The programme offers adult participants with mid-moderate mental health challenges, disability or pain management; access to high quality professionally led arts activities in a low stress, supportive environment.
It is free of charge to participants at times and places to suit them. Through focusing on hands-on art activities we provide relaxation and distraction, giving participants personal space away from day to day life.
The course was led by professional local artist Laura Dove, and assisted by our volunteer Pippa.
The theme of this course was Art Journalling and Creative Meditation. We combined art with words, similar to scrapbooking. We explored the following weekly themes using 2D art materials:
Week 1 Identity
Collage work that represented each individual in the group.
Week 2: Senses
We practiced noticing things around us:
5 we see
4 we hear
3 we touch
2 we smell
1 we taste.
We created using art materials: 5 paper shapes, 4 different materials, 3 words, 2 images, 1 cut out.
Laura describes the activity: “We began this session with a reflection on the previous week’s ‘homework’, this involved conversation around: tea, warmth, comfort, hard times. After the initial warm-up activity, we projected an image for every participant that reflects their peace, including images of: friendship, art, creativity, animals, hope, hugs. They created with materials that felt comfortable to them. At the end of the session, we watched an inspiring video by Art2life about how to be playful in your art-making. I suggested having this in mind, and creating for peace - encouraging experimenting among the participants.”
Listening to a piece of music, then turning the sounds into art.
“The first sounds we listened to were native American music with pan pipes and natural sounds. For the second activity, we split our page for the number of people in the room, and each had a section to convey the song into visual. Making art for the duration of the song, so some having quite a quick turnaround, using material such as pastel, paint, pen, colour pencil.”
Artist reflection: “It was really beautiful to listen to a shared piece of music and see how we captured that differently, but also similarly - from the colours, to mark-making, and imagery. Getting everyone to choose a song was a fun activity, which gave an insight into people’s tastes from their music choice - with some slower, creating a more sombre and introspective mood, and the faster songs meaning we could sing along together and create a fun environment”
We created an experimental mind map.
Week 6: Gallery
“The National Gallery has a range of online resources which we made the most of in this session. The participants liked having the opportunity to ‘copy’ as it uses a different set of skills and focus. The art meditations are a great way to draw more awareness to the detail in artworks, which also provoked conversation. With the ending activity allowing participants to choose something more suited to them, rather than having to go along with the group choice. The group also liked the opportunity of being introduced to these resources as it gave them the ability to go and explore in their own time.”
Above: Left to right - Lydia Tabusa, Pippa and Katie working on their art meditations in week 6.
Week 7: Collaborate
“This session was relatively creatively free, which was quite the opposite from the week before. Some members of the group were more open to this than others, but this gave me the opportunity to guide some of them through it a little more - using collage and imagery as a more accessible tool. After free-styling on the large piece of paper in groups of 4, a member from each group cut up the paper, then each choosing a part to keep and stick in their book. On the second task, we each spent around 10 minutes free-styling, then passing our books until it had made its way around the entire table and back to us again - meaning every member of the group had contributed something to someone’s book. I encouraged the group to art make with someone else outside of the session as an opportunity to connect - this was a risk in terms of those who are facing loneliness and isolation, however, most seemed to enjoy the opportunity.”
Week 8 : Grounding
Body scan and box drawing.
“I encouraged participants to think about what has been going on for them on the outside first. Each person was handed a cardboard cut out of a person, and then encouraged to go inwards to establish physical sensations inside.
For the main activity, participants drew repetitive one line boxes (and other shapes) which matched the in/out of their breathing - to help regulate and become aware of the breath. I asked the participants to notice any thoughts that arise, and after the breathing exercise, we noted some of these down and found ways of expressing them in the drawings.”
Above left to right - Lydia Tabusa, Jen & Gillian Ratcliffe - body scan exercise - week 8.
Week 9: Trash
Creating art using recyclables. “With the first activity, participants were encouraged to use only the trash (made up mainly of recyclables) to create an image. Then in the main exercise, we focused a lot more on the colours in the recycled items to form an image. As a reflection piece, I encouraged the members to try and build something up over the week - enabling them to see their trash as an opportunity to create. At the end of the session we collated together our favourite pages from all of our journals and took a photograph.”
Above left to right: Ashleigh, Lydia Tabusa and Pippa - Trash to treasure - week 9
Self portraits using mirrors and gold leaf plus reflections on reflective foil.
“Some participants were more comfortable looking in the mirror than others, which was an interesting observation, and others opted to look at images of themselves on their phones for reference, instead. For our main activity, participants were tasked with creating a ‘broken’ mirror effect with the film, and writing/ drawing/ collaging their reflections from the entire course. We shared our reflections together and then each participant took part in the end of session mood survey.”
Laura compiled a word cloud of the group’s reflections in the final activity:
These reflect a strong desire from the group to:
· Celebrate and share culture
· Engage with and form a community
· Partake in creativity, and heritage
· Promote inclusivity, wellbeing, and collaboration
This project was kindly funded by the Stony Stratford Town Council
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Office
Arts for Health Milton Keynes
Facilities Directorate
Milton Keynes Hospital
Standing Way
Eaglestone
Milton Keynes
MK6 5LD
Privacy Policy
Arts for Health Milton Keynes
Facilities Directorate
Milton Keynes Hospital
Standing Way
Eaglestone
Milton Keynes
MK6 5LD
Privacy Policy
Arts for Health Milton Keynes is the working name of MK Arts for Health charity number 1107625 company number 05137693