What a wonderful Autumn it was here in Calgary Alberta! If you’re familiar with the weather here you can understand the fickle nature of living in the Foothills. With the holiday season just around the corner, this can be a season with a multitude of emotions and festivities. For some the holiday may be celebrated with friends, family, neighbours and loved ones. For others this can be a time of severe loneliness and isolation. With challenges such as disabilities, SADS, depression, addiction, shelterlessness and access to mental health support individuals don’t have community or connection to spend time in. Lack of community and therefore connection, has been proven to increase the negative impacts of these challenges and equally a sense of community has been proven to minimize the impacts which create lasting results for stronger mental health.
Johann Hari is a journalist who delivered a TedTalk in 2015 about this specific concern. He directly links addiction to inadequate sense of community and connection; however, it is safe to say that many of the mental health challenges people face could be rectified in the same manner. Find the link to this amazing talk at the end of this blog entry. An 18-minute listen is worth every second!
Let’s list a few examples of what community and connection can look like!
Neighbourhoods
Sports
Spiritual
Culture
Arts
Volunteer
These are only just a few that come to mind and I know there are many. Specifically addressing the Arts as a community: How can mental health issues be addressed within our community to treat the issues we face?
I think first we need to look at the barriers preventing people from accessing the community.
Accessibility - Being able to physically participate
Motivation - Feeling overwhelmed, fear of failure, fear of rejection
Money- Not having the ability to contribute to the community
Transportation - Complexities of arriving at the community within best timing
Would it seem that if we could minimize the barriers, more individuals would access the Arts community? With such things as programs, museums, group discussions and community arts events (theatre, paint night, craft days, art exhibitions, etc.) the barriers should be addressed. By doing so, individuals can have the opportunity to build community and connection for themselves and in turn can positively impact their mental health.
At LOUD Art Society, these barriers are addressed by way of providing low-cost or free programs in person and virtually. Their programs focus on positive psychology, mindfulness, and art therapy to create a supportive environment. In addition, they also partner with different communities to bring art to where it is most beneficial. In Calgary AB, here are a few examples of how these types of barriers are being addressed by other organizations to foster an inclusive community!
Accessibility - Organizations like the National accessArts Centre (NaAC) provide on-site studio support and workshops for artists with disabilities. They also offer immersive programs delivered online to reach a broader community.
Motivation - The Perlin Foundation for Wellbeing hosts monthly wellness meetups for artists to discuss their processes and support a sense of belonging. These conversations help validate artists' experiences and reduce feelings of overwhelm, fear of failure, and rejection.
Money - The Calgary Arts Foundation and Calgary Arts Development offer various grants and funding opportunities to support individual artists, artist collectives, and arts organizations. These grants help artists contribute to the community without financial strain.
Transportation – Many of the Arts organizations are located within easy public transit access as well as often coordinating with Access Calgary to provide transportation to registered clients living with disabilities.
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