A Dundee-based charity has embarked on a Tayside tour to deliver a ‘Hope Box’ to almost 50 households struggling with isolation.
Front Lounge and Abertay Travel have teamed up to deliver the arts and crafts boxes to young families and single people throughout Dundee, Angus and Perthshire.
The charity had planned to fill 15 boxes with items for young people in the charity’s network but project leader Chika Inatimi was bombarded with interest and the scheme has been significantly expanded.
The boxes are filled with arts and crafts materials, disposable cameras, inspirational quotes and a brief to create as much art as possible.
Fewer than two weeks from now, the art will be collected and the creations revealed during a live, online show organised by the charity which will also feature dance and music performances.
Hope Hub lead artist Jacqueline Goodall, a final year art student at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design, said: “The situation we’re all in is having a huge effect on everyone, especially those living alone, parents or people who were already struggling with their mental health.
“By creating and taking each Hope Box to a different home, we can check in on people who might be struggling, give them a focus and remind them they’re not alone, connecting people through art and creating a different kind of community.
“We’re essentially asking people what hope means to them, and to translate that into some form of art, so the online show will celebrate that and provide a permanent record of some of the more positive aspects of this incredibly difficult time.”
Prior to the lockdown, Front Lounge had been planning monthly Hope Hub events across Scotland for people affected by mental health challenges.
