Art for healing
An art initiative led by the Carer Gateway NSW Wanda team, the We Care Project aims to use art as a tool for healing.
Through a series of workshops ran in July and August by the Wanda NSW team and the Katoomba Hub, carers and service providers across Lithgow, Penrith, Katoomba and Hawkesbury have decorated approximately 200 embroidery hoops with beautifully crocheted flowers made by local carer Jannine Smith and will be launching 120 of them in a series of exhibitions on Carers Week.
At the centre of the project is Jannine Smith, a carer of over 47 years who had been going through a rough period of isolation and depression.
When she needed it most, she came across Wanda and Wanda Navigator Kiara Ferguson in Lithgow. This meeting kickstarted a large-scale community art project that involved approximately 350 people, including 23 service providers in the region and local councils.
“Kiara heard of my passion for art and the way making art gives me a sense of meaning and has helped me rebuild my confidence to be seen in community,” Jannine said.
“From this we dreamed up the We Care Project – a collaborative project.”
The Blue Mountains unite for carers
The Wanda and Carer Hub teams ran several workshops across Kingswood, North St Mary’s and Llandilo and more workshops at the Katoomba Hub through July and August where carers and other service providers learned to decorate embroidery hoops with Jannine’s flowers.
“The core of the project was that through creativity we connect,” said Wanda Navigator Sophia Downes.
“We’re going to combine these hoops that people have put together and display them over Carers Week in the local libraries in Lithgow, Penrith, Hawkesbury and Katoomba.
“We’ll also be participating in the Blue Fringe Festival in Katoomba – an art show to recognise mental health.”
For Jannine this has been a life-changing experience, one that has helped her regain her confidence and also support other carers in their journey.
“When I was offered to run a workshop for this project, I didn’t feel confident that I could do it,” she said.
“But this experience has boosted my confidence, I am just happy to contribute in any way I possibly can.
“Hopefully this inspires others, especially if they’re early in their caring journey.”
For the Wanda and Carer Hub teams in the region it has been touching to not only see carers and community connect through art but to see the project grow by the hand of the community.
“It’s been an incredible journey, the We Care Project started as an opportunity to build carer visibility and awareness, honour the value of carers in our community, promote connection and inclusion and encourage services in the community to be truly Carer-friendly,” Sophia said.
Project to flourish this Carers Week
The Hub and Wanda teams and carers across the Nepean Blue Mountains carers are counting down the days to Carers Week as they prepare to celebrate with the launch of five exhibitions across Lithgow, Penrith, Hawkesbury and Katoomba compiling 120 hoops that carers and service providers crafted.
Service Integration Lead Nepean Blue Mountains and Penrith Belinda McDermott reflected on the project’s overwhelming reception within the community.
“I think we underestimated how big it was going to get. We thought it’ll be a wholesome little community project,” Belinda said.
“But then everyone we told got excited about it and it just kept expanding which was lovely because we wanted to raise that awareness and celebrate carers, put them at the centre of it .”
For Sophia Downes it has been, “Overwhelming but very beautiful” as she got to see carers come out of their shells and get creative with their projects.
“We’ve had many carers say, “Well, I’m not very creative”, but with a little guidance they’ve been really excited with what they have created.
“Local service providers we’ve spoken to have gotten excited for it too and are making their own hoops. Some have donated supplies, they’ve offered their spaces, run workshops, it’s just been very collaborative.
“We’re very excited to launch these exhibitions and see this project that has involved so many people in the community come to life.”
The We Care Project will launch their exhibition across libraries, community centres and festivals in Katoomba, Penrith, Lithgow and Hawkesbury during Carers Week where they will run for approximately two weeks. To find out more about the opening dates of each exhibition, visit Wanda – Blue Mountains Eventbrite