Submissions for ‘Flyway’ programme are now open!

'Flyway' is an art exhibition and programme using arts to promote mental health and wellbeing, featuring work by Scottish and Chinese artists. The programme is organised jointly by A Perch for Thorn Birds（刺鸟栖息地）and Artlink Central（艺术共链·中央区）, non-profit organisations in China and Scotland, and funded by the British Council. Submissions are open to professional and amateur artists and we encourage work from people with lived experience of mental health. We will be looking for entries that can be submitted in a high-quality digital format and the organisers will select and curate work jointly. 

The programme includes online and physical exhibition of selected works from August 2021 in both China and Scotland (Forth Valley Royal Hospital, date TBC), and a series of talks and activities, to promote creativity and mental health awareness, and to facilitate an open discussion on the topic between the two nations. 

We aim to create a safe and open space to discuss mental health in a way that welcomes everyone who wishes to express and listen.  

Deadline for submitting artwork: 28th May 2021.

“飞路Flyway中英精神健康艺术展”是以精神健康公共教育为目的公益艺术展览。该项目获得中英文化连线基金资助，由中国的非营利组织刺鸟栖息地（A Perch for Thorn Birds）和英国的社会企业Artlink Central（艺术共链·中央区）联合举办，集中展示来自中国和英国苏格兰地区的精神健康主题艺术创作。活动向职业艺术家和素人创作者开放，同时积极鼓励有精神困扰人士参与投稿并为有需要人士提供小额资助。项目计划于2021年8月在中国上海和苏格兰福特谷皇家医院就精选作品进行线上线下展览，同期举办一系列活动，促进行业交流，激发公众创造力，提高社会精神健康意识。“飞路Flyway”旨在创造一个安全开放的精神健康话题讨论场所，期待每一个愿意讲述和聆听的人。

To find out more about the opportunity and to meet the team at Artlink Central and A Perch for The Thorn Birds, join us on Thursday 13th May for a free online Scene Stirling Pathways Session, for an important conversation on the connection between mental health and arts, and how a creative approach can have a significant impact on wellbeing, recovery, and fighting stigma. The session will also be an opportunity to launch the 'Flyway' programme.

We will hear perspectives of working with arts and mental health from the Chinese charity A Perch for the Thorn Birds, Forth Valley-based charity Reachout With Arts in Mind, and artist Sharon Quigley.

Book your free ticket here.

creative and inclusive arts for people and place

Artlink Central is an arts agency and registered charity working with evidence based practice across all art forms. They have been established since 1988 producing artist-led participatory programmes that support people with disabilities, people experiencing mental health issues or people from excluded communities.

We create innovative and accessible opportunities and experiences for people and communities who face complex issues; using the arts to remove social, physical and attitudinal barriers to participation in society. We work within hospitals, schools, prisons, day centres and community-based settings, as well as in the public realm. We work across art forms, collaborating closely with artists, statutory and voluntary sector agencies and with people accessing our artistic programmes.

Artlink Central has a core programme of ongoing social prescription and member-led services:

• Artspace - our adult mental health social prescription service for people in Stirling has been running since 2003.

• Artreach - a creative project for adults with Learning Disabilities that has specialised in live arts and interdisiplinary work, has created commissions in Stirling Castle, Scottish Parliament and the University of Stirling. The group was established in 2011.

We have some ongoing place based projects exploring arts, creativity, neighbourhood and community. This are our longer term key projects.

• Scene Stirling - we manage Stirling's Place Partnership, a significant cultural project connecting Stirling's creative communities through training, network building, skills development, pr and grants and project funding.

• Arts and Wellbeing NHS Forth Valley - we coordinate all arts commissions, exhibitions and participatory and creative work for our local healthboard who we have worked with for over thirty years.

• Our Connected Neighbourhoods - we have partnered with the University of Stirling and others to develop, design and deliver change to the way we make our neighbourhoods dementia inclusive, through physical design, digital and social and creative interventions.

• Camelon Arts - Three year long community arts place based project in Falkirk area.

Find out more about our social enterprise Creating Conversations limited.