‘Encourage art as therapy’ says artist Fin Dac, as hospital ward unveils striking mural

If you missed the show watch it here

The urban street artist Fin Dac has said that patients should be encouraged to use art as therapy for their mental health.

Speaking on the One Community Radio Show, the artist said that art had helped him to look after his own mental wellbeing, as he and Dr Nick Rhodes from the Nightingale Project unveiled his vibrant mural Something Beautiful, outside the Shannon Ward at St Charles Hospital.

The Nightingale Project commissioned Fin to produce the work together with patients from the ward.

“It’s important to encourage people who have men health to use art as therapy. It definitely worked for me…not that I was ever on medication or anything like that, but we all go through periods where our mental health isn’t were it should be.

“It’s very important for me to encourage art as a therapy because it allows you to switch off from everything. It worked for me when I became an artist. It’s why I started painting. Without art I don’t know where I would be,” he told the show.

Today’s show was themed around using creativity as a form of expression, and also marked World Mental Health Day and Black History Month with host Cate Latto, One Community Founder and Lead and co host Anna Allan.

Alex Weston and the Young Healthwatch Volunteers Team marked World Mental Health Day with an interactive quiz that debunked myths around various mental health conditions.

Laura Cavill, Poet Laureate read one of her moving poems, and Actress Evvy Miller continued with the Life of Pi readings, and closed the show with a beautiful Poem Still I Rise.

The show also heard from Mez Ndukwe, a mental health project worker From St Mungos Homeless Outreach on their amazing work, and received a news update on work to transform mental health services for patients, from Ann Sheridan, Borough Director and Tariro Gumbo, Lead for Community Partnerships and Engagement.

If you missed today’s show, don’t worry you can watch it back here

Support the Nightingale Project 

Fin DAC and West Contemporary are raising money for The Nightingale Project- a charity that injects life and colour into mental health wards, to make the wards more therapeutic, in collaboration with artists and designers.

Donate here or by using this link: https://uk.gofundme.com/f/fin-dac-and-the-nightingale-project