Mental Health Art Installation, University of Southampton, 6th-13th May 2014

I was invited by University of Southampton Student Union to create an external arts installation to engage students and staff in discussions around mental health as part of their ‘Time to Change’ pledge and related 'Mental Wellbeing Conference', May 2014. I also developed a number of engagement activities and strategies to collate attitudinal data towards mental ill health and emotional wellbeing with the Student Union during May 2014.The installation consisted of the words 'mental health' woven on a large scale across security fencing. The brightly coloured typography was surrounded by key rings with small figures, attached to the fencing sections with coloured plastic tie wraps. Onto each key ring was printed a ‘myth v truth’ about mental ill health or a fact about emotional wellbeing or a QR code leading them to a local mental health charity website. I attached a few hundred of these figures with key rings to the piece to encourage people to investigate the installation for a longer period of time. The small figurines symbolise our human fragility and how we all may face periods of mental ill health in our lifetime.The installation was deliberately colourful and attractive through its use of materials to invite inspection - though not immediately obvious as to its content. On closer inspection onlookers were able to examine the piece and reflect on the way they behave and speak about mental ill health and emotional wellbeing.