Protest art highlighting carers' struggles features in Highland Scottish Mental Health Arts Festival
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Protest art highlighting the struggles experienced by unpaid carers in the Highlands will be exhibited as part of a Scotland-wide festival focusing on mental health.
Events including exhibitions, workshops and music performances feature in the Highland programme for the annual Scottish Mental Health Arts Festival which runs throughout October.
It will also include an exhibition at Eden Court Theatre in Inverness featuring artwork created by families living with long term conditions and struggling to access services.
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This year's theme for the arts festival, now in its 16th year, is 'Revolution'.
The Highland programme of events includes an exhibition, Revolutions, Cycles and Change, at Eden Court Theatre.
Organised by Creativity In Care, an arts organisation working around the Highlands, it runs from October 2 until November 3 and features painted canvases, wall hangings, prints of artworks, collaged pieces and 3-D art.
It also includes protest art designed by families living with long term conditions to convey their frustrations about being signposted to services without receiving the support they need.
Karrie Marshall, chief executive of Creativity In Care, said: "Many families experience much valued support from statutory and third sector health and social care organisations but what happens to families who fall through the net?
"We know people feel they have to fight for services and struggle to be heard.
"They cannot get the practical care and support they really need which is partly due to nationwide staff shortages. Families are often afraid to complain.
"Protest art helps people get their message across anonymously and in a way that other people might recognise.
"Our hope is that this helps people feel less isolated in their struggle, but also creates more open conversation towards helping our communities resolve these very painful situations."
One work, entitled Promises Promises, represents the increasing desperation felt by someone as each month passes without the help their family needs.
Another depicting chess pieces around a board table represents a family's experience of feeling like insignificant pawns.
The exhibition also features work by people supported by Highland mental health charity, Centred, to highlight changes during and after the coronavirus pandemic such as the importance of expressive eyes during mask-wearing, or finding comfort in confined spaces.
There are also images of puppets people made with Creativity In Care to tell their pandemic stories which will take place on November 3 in Eden Court's Jim Love Studio.
Another artwork is a print of Together We Journey by Inverness Openarts involving over 30 people on the collaborative work which began as concentric circles describing one person's journey out of depression. Other artists helped complete the piece.
Collaborative arts project Green Tree Arts, based in Highland and Moray, also has exhibited artwork produced by carers interested in art, nature or wellbeing, working in partnership with researcher Dr Ania Zubala of the University of Highlands and Islands.
Green Tree is running a free nature and art mandala making workshop on October 21 from noon in Eden Court. No booking is required.
Other free events at Eden Court include Poetry in Motion for new and accomplished writers on Saturday October 7 at 2pm plus Protest Art Making Fun on Thursday October 12 at 1pm.
Go to Highland festival for more events in the region.
