Drawing Projects UK is pleased to share the opportunity to undertake a fully-funded five-week online course, An Introduction to Mental Wellbeing in the Creative Arts, led by Bridget Sterling and delivered in collaboration with the Workers' Educational Association (WEA) through their online platform.

The creative arts are renowned for having a number of high-profile artists that have suffered from poor mental health, which is often overlooked in the creative arts with practitioners at a significantly higher risk of poor mental health than most other professions. This is for a number of reasons including low pay levels, inconsistent earnings and funding and poor life/work balance amongst other factors. This course looks at how to recognise the signs of stress and anxiety, discusses creative burnout and depression whilst suggesting healthy preventative measures to protect good mental health and includes guidelines on setting up good business practice.

This is an online course accessed through the WEA’s Virtual Learning Platform, Canvas, and is delivered via Zoom. It offers a one and a half hour session each week for five weeks. It is free and you do not need to be a member of the WEA to sign up or attend. The course runs twice, either on Wednesdays from 3pm to 4.30pm, or on Fridays from 11am to 12.30pm, for five weeks. The courses start on either Wednesday 1 July or Friday 3 July 2020. 

Bridget Sterling is a fine arts professional and Director of online gallery, Axle Arts. She is a curator, dealer and writer as well as an artist herself. Whilst director of Bath Contemporary, she ran a successful work experience programme. Her employability and mental wellbeing in the creative arts courses have been delivered at both Bath Spa University and Kingston University.