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Transforming Brisbane’s Queen Street Mall—A live community painting event highlights the power of creativity in mental health

Tags: Mental Health, Wesley Arts

Image of 'Making Waves' event mural, open to anyone to add their creative touch

Image shows the 'Making Waves' mural, open to everyone to add their creative touch.

An arts activation aiming to be one of Brisbane’s biggest live painting events is hoping to highlight the power of art to address social isolation and health and wellbeing issues in the community.

One in five Australians will experience a mental health disorder in their lifetime, painting the picture for the growing need for accessible, innovative support—and the Arts could form part of the solution.

On Wednesday, 6 November, from 9am-2pm – Wesley Arts, run by Wesley Mission Queensland, is set to transform Queen Street Mall’s Wintergarden with Making Waves, giving passers-by firsthand experience of the positive effects of being involved in the Arts.

As part of Australia’s emerging Arts on Prescription movement, Making Waves will feature a large mural template, open to anyone and everyone passing through the mall to add their creative touch.

Arts on Prescription is a progressive healthcare approach that has seen success in countries like the UK, Ireland, and Canada, where it’s integrated into public health programs as a means of addressing mental health and wellbeing (read more on ABC news). Also known as ‘social prescribing’, the approach involves health professionals or GPs connecting people with non-clinical services to decrease isolation and improve health and wellbeing.

In Australia, the Wesley Arts program is championing this movement by using creative therapeutic workshops to support people’s emotional and mental health alongside traditional clinical practices.

Studies show that engaging in activities like painting, music, and other creative expressions can significantly reduce stress, combat loneliness, and improve overall mental wellbeing.

Annie Peterson, WMQ Wesley Arts Manager, talks about her experience with arts-based sessions allowing participants to connect, heal and grow in an easily accessible way:

Arts and creativity are powerful tools that can be integrated into healthcare to relieve stress, anxiety, support recovery and other mental health challenges. The goal is to help pave the way for arts-based engagement to be embedded as long-term support in Australia’s healthcare system.

Annie is a strong advocate for Arts on Prescription and was a member of the research team that provided recommendations for Creative Australia (formerly Australia Council for the Arts) report Connected Lives: Creative solutions to the mental health crisis. Wesley Arts also contributed significantly to Creative Solutions: Training and sustaining the arts for mental health workforce.

We’ve seen firsthand how creative expression can open pathways for healing, whether it’s through lowering stress, enhancing mood, or fostering a sense of connection in challenging times. By bringing arts practice to a public space like Queen Street Mall, we’re hoping to raise awareness of the therapeutic Arts services Wesley Mission Queensland provides and the transformative benefits of arts in mental health care.

The mural design is a collaboration between local artist Sue Loveday and the Wesley Arts creative community expressing what ‘makes waves’ in their world, which embodies themes of resilience and community, and will progressively come to life as passers-by add their personal touch throughout the day.

Sue worked with Wesley Arts participants to design the mural, facilitating an inclusive process that will culminate in the artwork being crafted into furniture to be sold, with profits going back to Wesley Arts.

Wesley Arts participant Jenny Jump, a passionate advocate for the role of arts in mental wellbeing, finds community and connection through her involvement in Wesley Arts:

Wesley Arts is so important to me because it offers connection—a chance to be part of a like- minded, creative community. It’s a safe, accepting space where I can make friends, which helps me manage my anxiety and feelings of isolation. It supports me in working toward my goals for connection and creativity.

Adding to the lively atmosphere, a music session led by Wesley Arts facilitator Tim Jackman will invite people to enjoy the uplifting combination of art and sound.

Making Waves is more than just a community canvas—it’s an invitation for people to participate in a movement that supports mental wellbeing through creativity.

WMQ invites everyone in Brisbane to experience the mental health benefits of art and learn more about the Wesley Arts program by joining in this unique experience.

For more information on Wesley Arts, click here.