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According to one of the story-tellers, who worked for MAP in its very early days, "a story can be an anecdote, a joke, a chance glimpse of our often hidden selves. The listener has an opportunity to find their own meanings." But creative work is not just about escape, it's also about connection. One patient, hospitalised for over 20 years, rarely seen to smile and showing little interest in any other activity, became 'involved heart and soul' with the story-telling sesssions. A staff member working with older people who attend MAP workshops has seen a whole range of clients, who may be anxious, withdrawn, floridly psychotic or with various types of dementia, absorbed by the magic of making and sharing their work in pottery sessions. "Some effects are observable, others more subtle. There's a sense of camaraderie shared by group members, they compliment each other's work and provide emotional support", she explains. "It gives the creators an opportunity to feel valued and appreciated. The benefits are incalculable. No-one ever wants to stop attending."
[Illustration Left - Collage made by patients at David Clark House in a Millennium Arts Project workshop run by Friends' artist-in-residence Wendy Hagger. ]  The young-onset dementia patients have created two gardens. The first garden in the Hospital grounds (see below) is planted with a range of plants, grasses, and small trees, and contains a central seating area with three benches. It is decorated with three brightly coloured banners made by the Textile group. The second is an organic vegetable garden. 
[Illustration Above -The garden designed and made by young-onset dementia patients in the Hospital grounds as part of the Millenium Arts Project] As part of MAP, in 2009 a completely new garden was started at the back of the recently renovated Cedars Recovery unit on the Fulbourn Hospital site. With the help of Ken Davies, a former MAP gardener-in-residence, several volunteers, and two sets of 'away-day' teams from the Cambridge pharmaceutical firm Amgen, the medal-winning landscape designer and gardener, Philippa Pearson, has been giving up one half-day a week to develop her design for the area. It is hoped that this will be completed in the late spring of 2010, so that the Cedars residents can enjoy it during the summer. 
[Illustration Above -The Tree of Life mosaic made by patients] The Friends have been delighted with the success of the Millennium Arts Project, and have been very fortunate in finding artists of high calibre, who have contributed so much and carried the various projects through with great enthusiasm. It takes time to build up trust and confidence with those they are working with, and yet they have exceeded the expectations of the Project and are attracting and retaining the interest of a large number of people, initially on the wards, but later also when the Project expanded into the community, providing for those with a mental health problem in the community. We also gratefully acknowledge the financial help of the Department of Health, The National Association of Hospital and Community Friends, South Cambridgeshire District Council, Cambridgeshire Community Fund and the Garfield Weston family, without whom we could not have achieved so much. From April 1st 2010, as always envisaged, the Millenium Arts Project will merge with Arts and Minds (Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Foundation for the Arts and Mental Health). |
Over the past ten years, the Friends'
Millennium Art Project has enabled artists-in-residence
to work with clients both in hospital and the community, supported
by a group of dedicated volunteers. Using pottery, textiles,
mosaic, music, dance, story-telling, and landscape design and gardening,
the artists act as facilitators and motivators.
