Mental health exhibition showcases art co-developed by neuroscientists and artists

Artworks co-produced by neuroscientists and artists, which explore labels associated with mental health, such as stress and mood, are going on show beginning today as part of a series of events organised by UCL. The multi-media exhibition forms part of the 'Dear World Project' - an ongoing art-science collaboration looking at mental health, its diagnosis, and the labels often used to describe the related feelings and emotions. Approximately one in four people in the UK will experience a mental health problem each year. In England, one in six people report experiencing a common mental health problem such as anxiety and depression in any given week. Many people affected by mental ill-health often find themselves either associating themselves with labels, or having labels associated with them by others. This can be helpful or damaging, and this project explores the diversity of labels and how they are used. Since 2018, the Dear World Project has run pop-ups at festivals including Latitude, inviting people to write on a postcard entitled 'Dear World', and include a summary of their thoughts and feelings.