DRAWINGS from a mental health art project spanning Sussex and Hampshire are being exhibited in Brighton.

The ‘Marks Make Meaning: drawing across disciplines’ exhibition is hosted by the University of Brighton, and focuses on the diversity of drawing.

The exhibition will include artwork which has been created at pop up art studios in NHS settings, public drawing events in art galleries and through Sussex Recovery College courses as part of the Year of Drawing project.

Year of Drawing is a year-long site specific drawing project to help increase access to the arts for people who are facing mental health challenges.

Led by Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust’s charity Heads On, the project is part of Make Your Mark, Sussex Partnership’s arts and health programme.

The Year of Drawing is funded by the National Lottery through Arts Council England and grants from Chalk Cliff Trust, John Horniman’s Children’s Trust, Dixie Rose Findlay Charitable Trust and Rockinghorse Children’s Charity.

Since launching in October 2017, the Year of Drawing project has held public drawing events throughout Sussex, including at Cass Sculpture Foundation in Chichester, Towner Gallery in Eastbourne and The Hawth in Crawley.

The event at De La Warr Pavilion, Bexhill saw 117 people come together to make art.

One of the attendees of a public drawing event said: “I was made to feel very welcome, supported and encouraged, and there was a relaxed atmosphere to work and try out new ideas.”

Joanna Stevens, Sussex Partnership’s Arts and Health lead, said “Year of Drawing is our most ambitious project yet.

“We are so pleased to see that it is bringing people together and breaking down barriers for people with mental health conditions.”

“We are very grateful for the artwork created in the project so far to be included in this exhibition with other esteemed artists, which includes previous alumni from the university. We hope that the artwork will start conversations and continue to help raise awareness of mental health, emotional wellbeing and break down the stigma of speaking about these challenges which so many people face.”

The exhibition will be held at the University of Brighton’s gallery in Grand Parade, Brighton and will be open to the public from 12 – 29 March 2018.

Year of Drawing’s next public drawing events will take place on Tuesday 13 March at Royal Pavilion and Museums, Brighton from 10am – 4pm, and Tuesday 15 May at Worthing Museum from 10am – 4pm.

For more information about the exhibition, go to www.arts.brighton.ac.uk/whats-on/gallery, and to find out more about the Year of Drawing, go to www.makeyourmarknhs.co.uk.

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Notes to editors

For more information call the Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust press office on 0300 304 0660 or email communications@sussexpartnership.nhs.uk.

Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust provides NHS mental health, specialist learning disability and prison healthcare services across and beyond Sussex. www.sussexpartnership.nhs.uk.

Heads On is the charity for Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, raising funds to enhance NHS mental health care. Registered charity number 1051736 - www.headsoncharity.org.