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Kendra Bosse, fourth-year Visual Arts and Psychology major at Brock University.<\/p><\/div>\n
Guiding the research project was Amy Friend, Associate Professor and artist in Brock\u2019s Department of Visual Arts (Studio Arts) at the Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts.<\/p>\n
At the time, Friend was evaluating how artists were responding to the pandemic and encouraged Bosse to explore ways of looking at imagery that promote sharing and learning.<\/p>\n
Based on Bosse\u2019s interest in therapeutic photography and mental health, a collaboration with Willow Arts Community was formed to deliver the workshop, “Here and Now: Using photographs as a creative response to lived experience.”<\/p>\n
Willow Arts Community is a peer support organization based in St. Catharines that aims to reduce barriers and provide opportunities for adult artists living with mental illness and substance use disorder in the Niagara region.<\/p>\n
Believing photography has the ability to reduce feelings of isolation and foster human connection in a meaningful way, Bosse led a two-hour session in July with six Willow member artists. Participants were asked to take photos that \u201ccaptured emotion without people.\u201d<\/p>\n
The photos were presented and discussed during the virtual workshop hosted on Zoom, resulting in laughter, tears, peer support, compassion and healthy dialogue surrounding loss and isolation during the pandemic.<\/p>\n
It was a learning moment Bosse will never forget.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis has been a hands-on experience that has prepared me for a future career in mental health,\u201d she says. \u201cTaking part in this research has had an impact on my studies and opened my eyes to how art can bring people together.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Seeking Faces in Reflection by Heba Younes was one of the photographs captured as part of “Here and Now: Using photographs as a creative response to lived experience,” a workshop conceptualized and executed by Brock University student Kendra Bosse in partnership with the Willow Arts Community.<\/p><\/div>\n
Shauna MacLeod, Founder and Director of Willow Arts Community, saw great value in the project and was grateful for the benefits to community members.<\/p>\n
MacLeod hopes to use this framework for future collaborations with Brock University and the Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts.<\/p>\n
\u201cKendra created an excellent workshop that provided a meaningful opportunity for artists living with mental illness and substance use to come together and share their experiences in an authentic and creative way,\u201d she says. \u201cIn a time of heightened anxiety and isolation due to COVID-19, these moments are more important than ever.\u201d<\/p>\n
Friend agrees this forum for shared discussion and engagement at a time of increased isolation has been very impactful. She also notes a less formalized approach focusing on community integration is a valuable path for learning beyond the walls of academia.<\/p>\n
\u201cI am thankful and excited to see the collaborative impact of this work, and I look forward to building a closer relationship with Willow Arts Community,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n
Bosse will graduate in April and plans to attend graduate school to pursue a master\u2019s degree in Art Therapy. She is motivated to continue her research and creative community outreach.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe ability to tie together theory and technique that I have learned during my undergraduate career at Brock and while working alongside Willow Arts Community, has provided me with insight on how therapeutic photography can be used to foster self-expression and communication in individuals living with mental illness,\u201d says Bosse.<\/p>\n
\u201cEveryone has a story; you just have to listen.\u201d<\/p>\n