Creative Arts for Health and Well-Being Hub

A Time to Breathe

The Creative Arts for Health and Well-Being Hub is an online space and learning resource services to support the role of the arts in the promotion of physical and positive mental health and well-being for all.

This space was created as part of Art Connects Mental Health: A Time to Breathe, a two-year European wide transnational partnership project that provides education, training and awareness-raising at national and European levels using creative processes to promote positive mental health and emotional wellbeing with youth. Six partner organisations came together to create a Europe-wide Creative Arts for Health and Well- Being hub, a new online, interactive, learning resource centre that supports the role of the arts to promote physical and emotional positive mental health and well-being for all.

Building synergies between the arts, youth education, and health and well-being, this project supports the role of the arts to promote positive mental health and emotional well-being, to overcome stress and anxiety and to build resilience across Europe, strengthening links in relation to the arts, education and positive mental health and well-being with and by young people.

Self-Care and Well-Being Talks, Exercises and Tips for Arts Creativity and Well-Being

A Time to Breathe Puzzle Game

Overcoming Stress and Anxiety, where you learn about your personal triggers, what triggers your emotional responses and what makes you anxious and how you can handle those triggers. The video game contains tasks related to learning how to conduct a series of breathing exercises to overcome stress and anxiety and to promote resilience.

Download the game here

Vlogs and Blogs

English Vlogs and Blogs

How to Cope with Stress and Find Inner Peace – click here
Positive Mental Health and Well-Being – What you can do to look after your positive mental health – click here
How can we REACH OUT when we can’t GO OUT? – click here
How do I cope with Stress? My Personal Shelters (photos) – click here
Tips for Managing Time in A Pandemic – click here

Croatian Vlogs and Blogs

Kako se nositi sa stresom i pronaći unutarnji mir – click here
Pozitivno mentalno zdravlje i blagostanje – Što možete učiniti da brinete o svom pozitivnom mentalnom zdravlju – click here
Savjeti za Upravljanje Vremenom u Pandemiji – click here
Kako možemo DOSPJETI VAN kad ne možemo IZAĆI? – click here

Italian Vlogs and Blogs

Come affronto lo stress? I miei rifugi personali – click here
Salute mentale e benessere positivi – Cosa si può fare per prendersi cura della propria salute mentale positive – click here
Come possiamo RAGGIUNGERE QUALCOSA se non possiamo neanche uscire? – click here

Greek Vlogs and Blogs

Αντιμετώπιση του άγχους και αναζήτηση εσωτερικής γαλήνης – click here
Θετική ψυχική υγεία και ευημερία. – Τι μπορείτε να κάνετε για να φροντίσετε τη θετική ψυχική σας υγεία – click here
Πώς μπορούμε να επικοινωνήσουμε όταν δεν μπορούμε να βγούμε έξω – click here
Πώς αντιμετωπίζω το άγχος; Τα Προσωπικά μου Καταφύγια (photos) – click here

Spanish Vlogs and Blogs

Cómo Afrontar el Estrés y Encontrar la Paz Interior – click here
Salud mental positiva y bienestar. – Qué puede hacer para cuidar su salud mental positive – click here
¿Cómo podemos LLEGAR cuando no podemos SALIR? – click here
¿Cómo afronto el estrés? Mis refugios personales (photos) – click here

Training

English Curriculum

Module A: A creative approach to handling stress and overcoming anxiety – download
Module A Handouts – download
Module B: Resilience: your resource luggage – download
Module B Handouts – download

Croatian Curriculum

Module A: Kreativan pristup suočavanju sa stresom i prevladavanju tjeskobe – download
Module A Handouts – download
Module B: Otpornost: Vaša torba resursa – download
Module B Handouts – download

Greek Curriculum

Module A – Μια δημιουργική προσέγγιση για τον χειρισμό του άγχους και την αντιμετώπιση του άγχους – download
Module A Handouts – download
Module B – Ανθεκτικότητα: οι αποσκευές σας – download
Module B Handouts – download

Italian Curriculum

Module A: Un approccio creativo per gestire lo stress e superare l’ansia – download
Module A Handouts – download
Module B – Resilienza: il vostro bagaglio di risorse – download
Module B Handouts – download

Spanish Curriulum

Module A: Un enfoque creativo para manejar el estrés y superar la ansiedad – download
Module A Handouts – download
Module B – Resiliencia: quipaje de recursos – download
Module B Handouts – download

Resources and Contacts

Atlas of Emotions

The Atlas of Emotions is an educational publication that provides comprehensive information on the interrelationship between mental illness, stigma and emotional violence.

It brings together the most frequent and representative emotions experienced by people with severe and prolonged mental illness (SMI) as a collective object of stigmatising beliefs and non-physical violence.

Visit here: actitude-project.eu/atlas-of-emotions

Emotional Landscapes

The title for this unique virtual visual art and multi-disciplinary exhibition ‘Emotional landscapes’ was created by artist Noelle McAlinden from a series of creative conversations with writer, theatre and film-maker Mary Moynihan. The conversations continued, to encompass the work of visual artist Hina Khan, violinist and composer Lisa McLoughlin-Gnemmi, writer and choreographer Fiona Bawn Thompson and poet and writer Féilim James, bringing together different artists who, each in their own way, were responding to the changing emotional landscapes of our evolving world.

Visit here: exhibition.smashingtimes.ie/emotional-landscapes

Smashing Times Arts and Human Rights Network

Join here: smashingtimes.ie/membership

List of Support Services

It is important to recognise that we may all experience a range of emotions in these changed times and that you are not alone as there is always someone there to help. If you need to talk you can ring the Samaritans anytime day or night on 116 123. You can also talk to a family member, a friend or your GP. Talking about how you are feeling can help. Have a look at the Smashing Times Acting for the Future handout for suggestions and ideas for promoting positive mental health and well-being.

If you or someone you know is at risk of suicide or self-harm, during this crisis you should make contact immediately with one of the following:

Your local doctor
Your local Accident & Emergency department of the nearest hospital
Call 112

The following is a list of support services in Ireland. It is not a comprehensive list

Samaritans Helpline: Call 116 123

If you need someone to talk to, the Samaritans are there to listen, they won’t judge or tell you what to do. Whatever you are going through, you can call the Samaritans any time day or night from any phone for free. People can contact the Samaritans for a range of reasons, and you don’t have to be suicidal to get in touch, if you are having a tough time call the Samaritans on 116 123. Contacting the Samaritans is free, you can ring from landlines or mobiles including pay-as-you-go mobiles. You don’t need to have credit or any call allowance to ring.

You can write an email to jo@samaritans.ie . There is a response time of 24 hours. This service is there is you feel it is too difficult to talk on the phone and you may want to write about what is on your mind.

Aware Defeat Depression. Click here. Provides support to those whose lives are affected by depression and anxiety. Some great information from Aware in relation to handling your mental health and well-being and handling anxiety during Covid-19.

HSE Health and Well-Being Division. Click here.

Barnardos. Click here. Committed to the best interest of children and young people in Ireland, promoting and respecting their rights

SpunOut.ie Click here. SpunOut.ie is Ireland’s youth information website created by young people, for young people. They provide information online on a range of different topics broken down into sections; education, employment, health, life and opinion.

Research

An evaluation of ‘Acting for the Future’: a drama intervention by Smashing Times International Centre for the Arts and Equality

Prepared by Smashing Times International Centre for the Arts and Equality and Dr Charlotte Wilson, Assistant Professor in Clinical Psychology, School of Psychology, Trinity College Dublin

Creative Arts for Health and Well-Being Programmes for Communities – Second Level Schools, Young People and Minority Groups

Acting for the Future Information Leaflet – download

Acting for the Future: Using the arts to promote positive mental health, well-being and suicide prevention for Travellers and Roma – download

Acting for the Future Promotional Video – watch here

The following creative pieces were developed to promote positive mental health as part of Testimonies, which consists of a series of monologues that are presented and then followed by a post-show panel discussion. The monologues were adapted from the experiences of those who have lost loved ones to suicide, and from the experiences of those who have been through a suicidal crisis and survived. Each performance is followed by a post-show panel discussion with a counselling psychologist and invited guest speakers from the Samaritans and other organisations. Audience members are invited to discuss the issues raised by the performances.

Plays

In One Breath, written and directed by Mary Moynihan, is a portrait of a woman in the eye of the storm, battling mental illness and how she finds ways to cope.

Is There Anything We Can Do? by Paul Kennedy is a dramatic performance where a mother fights the spectre of suicide hanging over her family. The mother visits a counsellor as she tries to find answers to her son’s death by suicide.

Do Not Go Gentle by Paul Kennedy. The frailty and resilience of a woman’s response to marital meltdown is portrayed as she confronts the absurdity of her life in the context of the economic downturn.

If You Could Read My Mind by Paul Kennedy, the story of a young woman experiencing self-harm and what she can do as part of her recovery.