Connecting with Hope: Inspire Clubhouse & Mental Health Hub art exhibition

In the lead up to this year’s Schizophrenia Awareness Week selectability’s Inspire Clubhouse and Mental Health Hub consumers are inviting the Townsville community to learn more about the diagnosis during a month-long art exhibition.

The exhibition, ‘Connecting with Hope’, will display artwork drawing on each artist’s experience with the mental illness and challenges the stigma surrounding it.

Mental Health Hub peer worker Lana said it was so important for the community to develop a proper understanding of schizophrenia and what it means for those living with it.

 “During our regular art sessions we focused on learning about the diagnosis.  Class participants then interpreted this information through their artwork,” said Lana

“In the first session we focus on the question “what do you think of when asked about schizophrenia, what does this diagnosis mean to you?

“Some of the answers were quite confronting but they aligned with the many misconceptions of the diagnosis.

“Many of the misconceptions exist today because of the sensationalised depictions of schizophrenia in movies and in the media.

“The exhibition includes 25 pieces and the outcome is amazing.”

Among those exhibiting is Mental Health Hub consumer Lee-Ann, who said she used a variety of mediums to produce her two artworks.

 “Explosion is a take on the mind of a schizophrenic, which is often exploding with things like hallucinations, erratic behaviour, disorganised speech and delusions,” said Lea-Ann.

Connecting with HOPE will open to the public this Saturday 14 May from 4pm and will continue until Tuesday 14 June.

The exhibition will be open to the public at Gallery48, The Strand (Unit 2/48 The Strand).
Opening hours – Wednesdays and Saturdays 12noon to 5pm and Fridays by appointment.

(In attached picture, Mental Health Hub consumer Lee-Ann with her piece Explosion).

Schizophrenia affects roughly 20 million people worldwide and there is no single cause and while it is a treatable mental health condition, stigma and false perceptions remain an issue.