Curating the Mind provided the opportunity for people to create social connections and receive support from others who have similar experiences by encouraging self-expression and open dialogue, through art and storytelling.
Who
The project is aimed at the Filipino community in East London who are socially isolated and may experience mental health issues.
What
Participants attend workshops using photographs, videos, objects, storytelling, music and expressive movement to convey the experiences and issues that affect mental health.
Where
Waltham Forest and Newham, East London
When
2018-2020
For many Filipino people living in East London, it can feel lonely being isolated from their families and can sometimes feel overwhelming financially supporting their family back home. Home can often feel very far away, and finding a sense of community can feel very difficult.
Curating the mind was a project that drew on the creative arts to address mental wellbeing and isolation faced by many of the Filipino community in East London. Members took part in a range of workshops giving people the chance to open up using personal photographs, videos, objects, storytelling and music to share their memories, worries, or explore experiences and issues that can affect their mental health.
By the end of the project, members felt less alone and had more connections in the community, creating vital lifelines to ease isolation during difficult times. The project worked towards creating art for a local exhibition at Stratford Library, where members would see their work shown in public, often for the first time.
The loneliness that I feel is lessened. I realise that I am not alone feeling these emotions. Curating the Mind has been a great help in the lives of Filipino migrants.
Project member
