Mapping creative practices in mental health and wellbeing in Higher Education
18 March 2019, Central Saint Martins
This mapping event brought together creative practitioners, educators and therapists from across UAL to form a community of practice that can help address issues of wellbeing in Higher Education. The first half of the afternoon formed an introduction to existing practices at UAL that address wellbeing: including colleagues who are tackling the subject of mental health and wellbeing through counselling and therapy, object-based learning, documentary film-making, ludic activities, spatial and curatorial practice, comic book design, feminist collectives, activism, outreach/socially engaged practice, as well as scholarly publications. This was followed by an open space discussion about the things we believe matter - what are the strengths and challenges we (and other HEIs) are facing when dealing mental health and wellbeing, and importantly what is to be done.
The five themes that emerged from this day were:
- Vulnerability
- Embodied experience and the power of objects
- Challenging existing narratives of wellbeing
- Supporting staff to support students
- Practical solutions