A pioneering Fife art project hopes their practice can soon help transform the lives of people with mental health problems across Scotland.
Falling Up Together is currently exhibiting participants’ work in a Dunfermline gallery.
However, the family behind the collaboration is also preparing to talk about its effects in the Scottish Parliament.
The group was created by former art student Drew Walker as he recovered from serious mental ill health.
He and his art teacher parents Rab and Liz welcome amateur artists at a studio within Dunfermline’s Fire Station Creative.
And working together brings structure and meaning for those involved.
Rab says that while they are not medical people and do not offer therapy, the project is helping to change lives.
“We’re beginning to attract interest from within the NHS, which is great,” he said.
“We hope the model can have an impact on the rest of Scotland.”
Aiming for happiness alongside mental illness
Drew researched the concept of Gugging as part of his PhD studies.
It originally saw psychiatric patients receive therapy while they created art.
Drew, from Dunfermline, adapted it to set up Falling Up Together in 2016.
And now 79 participants regularly create all sorts of art, from painting to sculpture.
Rab says the family is constantly evaluating the work as part of their research.
“Our research has definitely shown it works,” he said.
“We’re looking around and seeing money being wasted left, right and centre on short-term initiatives.
“Yet this is a great example to people who want to live a happy life, with a chronic mental illness being part of it.
“We’re going back to parliament this year to talk about it and we’ll be talking about pounds and pence.”
Falling Up Together exhibition is on now
Drew added: “It’s about people believing in themselves, creating art and being valued as a result.
“Anybody can be creative or artistic and working together can be socially enriching.”
The latest results are on show now at the Fire Station Creative.
Doors are open to the public from 10am to 4pm until Sunday.
It also includes work by Outsider artist Mary Barnes, who became a successful painter while living with schizophrenia.
She died in 2001, aged 78.
Conversation