A creative writing project that aims to help people with their mental health will begin in Perth this week.
Mindspace and Perth Theatre have joined forces to put together the six-week course following the success of previous initiatives.
Led by published writer and creative practitioner Jane Archer, the My Life, My Story sessions will help people write their own personal narratives.
Organisers say the pandemic negatively impacted on Mindspace services, particularly with the decline in in-person events.
And they hope this type of event will help people grow in confidence as they begin to see others face-to-face.
‘Wholly cathartic and enlightening’
Participants in the workshop, which begins on Wednesday, don’t need any writing experience – just “a willingness to try something new”.
It came about after Horsecross, which runs Perth Theatre, approached Mindspace with the idea after securing funding.
Mindspace recovery facilitator Rachel Palmer said: “Writing a narrative can be a wholly cathartic and enlightening experience.
“To realise that you have strengths which are perhaps unrecognised or not tapped into and to be able to share that narrative should you wish to a supportive group of fellow writers.
“The pandemic has had a pretty negative effect on our services.
“We had to use Zoom for our group sessions which is not a preferred medium and participation really dropped off.”
She added: “Our hope for the future is that we see people coming back to Mindspace to take part in the varied programme we offer, and that we can also continue to provide elements of fun, creativity and confidence building.”
Online support
Mindspace began offering in-person courses in August last year as pandemic restrictions began to ease.
And while online support presented a range of challenges for many, they have also proved vital throughout the pandemic.
Among those who benefitted from the support was Violet Hari.
She said: “I have seen the wonderful work that Mindspace does.
“It is an amazing team of professionals who work together to help improve the lives of those who have mental health difficulties.
“Most of all it has created a safe environment for people to express themselves.”
