Thursday 19 May 2016

Relationship Map at Middlesex University


Our exhibition map
Tomorrow (20th May) come and join us at Midday in the Rickett Quadrangle at Middlesex University, Hendon, UK as we launch our Relationship Map as part of the MDX Let's Talk event for Mental Health Awareness Week 2016. We'll be joined by Kevin Acott who has worked on several projects with us as well as being Director of Programmes and Senior Lecturer (Mental Health) at Middx Uni.

Relationship Map (detail)
The Relationship Map is an artwork which charts how different people make connections and relationships between fundamental concepts - like Mum/Dad, Me/You and Heart/Mind. It is inspired by the map and tube lines of the London Underground. The map features submissions from 50 contributors who charted how they felt about each of the concepts.

MDX Let's Talk is a Middlesex University initiative which aims to raise awareness of mental health/illness through collaborative working of University staff, students, public and local/national agencies. Through this we hope to raise awareness of mental health and signpost to any relevant services for support if needed.

Contributors include Tamara Jelača, Iain Inglis, Peter Turton, Peter S Smith, Liz Dolan, Harvey Wells, Dean Reddick, Jerome, PD, Natalie Low, Jill Hedges, Effie Aye-Maung-Hider, Alban Low, Steve Cohen, Ruth Dalton, Kevin Acott, Katie Stone, NAA, David, Colin, Seamus, Amin, Bryan Benge, Sarah Dewing, Tom, Pam, Mehmet, Arnand, Imran, Wayne Sleeth, Tanya Kreisky, Stuart Crewes, AS, Eddie, Julie Reay, Tracy Ferriss, Helen Reddick, Sammy, Dawn Duncan, Melanie Woodcock, Peter T, Robert Good, Jo Lansdown and 7 anonymous submissions.

You can buy the Relationship Map on Amazon for £2 (+ Postage and Packing). It folds out into a wonderful A3 poster and is full of interesting coincidences and meaning as you chart your way across its routes. The map is published by Sampson Low Ltd and a copy is kept in the British Library and the other 5 deposit libraries of the UK.

AL.

Saturday 14 May 2016

Art of Caring 2016

 
Last Thursday, 12th May, we celebrated International Nurses Day 2016 in our own heartfelt way. This is the second year of the Art of Caring and it was even bigger and better than last year's exhibition. This year we exhibited 330 postcard sized artworks and poems from over 180 artists who sent us their work from around the world.

Eskild Beck and Alban Low
The launch party saw several artists come from far flung places including Eskild Beck from Denmark and CollectConnect favourite Melanie Ezra from Swansea. It was a glorious early summer's day in Kingston-upon-Thames and the streets outside teemed with a suburban buzz. Inside, the refreshments flowed feely and it was not only a good opportunity to delve deeper into our thought provoking selection but also to meet old and new friends alike. Photographer Bill Mudge was in attendance and you can see his full portfolio of photos HERE.

Thanks to everyone who came and exhibited their work, we couldn't have done it without you. Thank you to all at Kingston University and St Georges, University of London who have supported us both financially and with their time and expertise, especially Dr Julia Gale, Karen Norman, Paul Newcombe and Carmel Blackie. Also the hanging committee of Paul Newcombe, Nikki Yun and Bryan Benge who got all 330 postcards on the Rose Theatre walls.

The exhibition is open until the 24th May 2016 in the upper circle bar/foyer gallery at the Rose Theatre, Kingston-upon-Thames, so go and see it.

Don't forget our main event on the 23rd May 2016 in the main auditorium that includes poetry, performance and insights into the Nursing profession. If you don't know what to expect then watch last year's performance here.