In March 2025, Two Temple Place’s Community and Education team warmly welcomed the Arts in Health group with a guided tour of “The Weight of Being”. The exhibition’s message of rechannelling the everyday struggles of life into places of creativity felt timely with the sunlight pouring through the stained-glass windows; spring and renewal is approaching.
The first theme of the exhibition was “The Weight of Everyday”. The range of paintings and photographs focused on how the ‘mundane’ affairs of life, like taking the busy train to work, can have extraordinary effects on our mental health and creative expression.
Pieces by artist, teacher and curator John Wilson McCracken, in particular, highlighted people’s needs for care and compassion, as well as the power of resilience through art. Having been outcast from the Slade School of Art due to taking time out for mental health struggles, his ability to have kept creating and helping other young artists still resonates and encourages others today. “Collective Struggles” also highlighted the way art can be used to strengthen communities in the face of hardship.
The next part of the tour took place in the Staircase Hall and Gallery. The architecture featured a beautiful mix of mahogany and ebony carvings from a variety of classic novels. The participants enjoyed trying to work out which pieces of literature the figures were from.
The tour finished in “Sanctuary and Solitude". Despite the different ways each artwork depicted the natural landscapes, it was clear the power nature has as a place to process societal pressures and personal worries. The reflections of the colourful, glass-stained panels were a perfect way to end the tour.
To close the afternoon, the group had the chance to create watercolour paintings depicting a natural landscape inspired by pieces from the exhibition. We are grateful to Two Temple Place for hosting us for such a wonderful tour and workshop.
If you are interested in hearing more about the work of Arts in Health, please do not hesitate to contact our team. You can email us on cnwlartsinhealth@nhs.net or visit our website.
