Sat 28 – Sun 29 October 2023
by Penny Hallas & Susan Adams
The chosen venue was the Muse in Brecon, which had the advantage of being familiar to many of our participants from Brecon and District Mind, and also just a lovely characterful and friendly place, usually used for clubs and music nights. Some of the 155 visitors stayed for the majority of both days; people came mainly from a 30 mile radius, but also from Bristol, Cambridge, London, Newport, Cardiff, Hereford and the Midlands. Most moving was the way people came especially to share their stories and memories – of their own or loved one’s experiences of care at the old Mid-Wales Hospital and elsewhere.
After you entered the space you were faced with an off-kilter arch that Susan had made with
drawers from various chests, reflecting the heaps of moldering furniture inside the old hospital when it was abandoned. It could be that the arch echoed the grand portico of the Mid Wales Hospital, entry through which must have been a terrifying experience for some. Also that the inside of a drawer – in this case, painted with imagery - feels like the only space allotted you that feels private when you entered the hospital as an inpatient.
We wanted many of the artworks to invite interaction and a feeling of playfulness instead of the detached contemplation that visitors to art exhibitions might expect. We also wanted our art to be seen on a par with our participants and the work intermingled. Rather than the solidity of walls, rickety support structures formed from rusty reclaimed reinforcement rods held much of the work, perhaps echoing the fragility of the collapsing Mid-Wales Hospital and the experiences of those who lived there.
People took down and spun the thaumatropes - disks that rely on persistence of vision to come to life – that Susan and Mind members had made. Though playful, the optical toys also feel uncanny and disquieting because they offer a glimpse of something that isn’t really there. (Click here to see a few spin). The disks were partly inspired by our visit to the Powys Archives where we saw the 1900-1923 records of those admitted to the Brecon and Radnor Asylum, many of which were accompanied by circular photographic portraits. They were also inspired by the card games played at Mind meetings we joined, which eased social interaction and helped people feel relaxed.
One of the activities offered in our workshops was weaving with nettles, brambles, briars - plants that are slowly taking over the grounds of the old Hospital. Often seen simply as weeds, they have a protective role and have been highly valued in the past. Penny combined the weavings with large works of her own to create sculptural pieces, suggesting sometimes shelters, and sometimes traps. The hope was that this would offer a kind of parallel experience to Art Lab visitors and this in fact happened with people temporarily inhabiting and animating them. Some people found them spiky and felt off-balance whilst others found them comforting, like the nests children make in bushes. One person said that his was a voluntary admission, but that he wouldn't be staying in for long.
On 2 television screens people could sit and watch an absorbing 30 minute video in 6 chapters reflecting Penny’s personal experiences through the project and something of how she chose to position herself in relation to its complexity and multiple challenges. Lyndon Davies provided a hauntingly beautiful sound-piece, amplifying and carrying the narrative. To see and hear a tiny clip, click here.
The poet Angela Morton spent time in the Mid Wales hospital and wrote about her life during periods of mental illness and experiences in the hospital. Her daughter, Becky was going to read from Angela’s collection the Holding Ground, (the collective press 2002) but our dates coincided with a trip away, so she liaised with close friend and colleague, poet Graham Hartill, who read for her, shared his own memories of Angela and reflected on her poems. Her grandson musician Gwyn Daggett and creative partner Beth Flynn played some of their new material, it was beautiful.
The following day in the afternoon we held a talk and feedback discussion, about 25 people came along, including Brecon and District Mind members, Stella Man and Cerys from Glenside Hospital Museum, psychotherapists, curators, historians, artists, participatory arts workers, a psychoanalyst and doctor. During the discussion we learnt that the books we had to fight so hard to see at the Archives were almost discarded when the hospital had closed – the attitude had gone from extreme carelessness to hyper vigilance and restricted access.
Afterwards people stayed to look around at the artworks and the discussions continued in smaller informal groups. Like everything during the Lab weekend, there was a feeling of energy in that so many interesting ideas were shared in a short period of time with a buzz of potential for what could be.
'I was so impressed to see so many people come through the doors and share their stories reflecting on the old Mid Wales Hospital ruin in Talgarth. It felt so valuable and necessary to take this time to talk about the hospital and the people who lived, worked and died there.
Taking part in this project has been so affirming for me. It’s made me certain that I want to pursue a career as an artist as much as I possibly can. This was the first time I’ve ever stood up in front of a room full of people and talked about my art processes and shared my poetry - and the feedback I received was invaluable. I’ve gained some interesting insights about my work, and the confidence to seek out this kind of experience again. Massive thanks to Susan and Penny who created the project and let me be involved - you supported and inspired me throughout.’
‘I feel a deep resonance between the works here and my own lived experience as someone impacted by mental health issues. Privacy, emotional intelligence, confidence and self expression explored and shared here in a nurturing space has been profoundly affecting. Thank you for this unique experience facilitating the unfurling of much of my vulnerability.’
‘LOVE this so much – the art feels really alive and so many different elements. Immersive, intriguing and fascinating reaction and response to a place – its history, stories and its demise. The way the artists have involved others in the creative process including at the exhibition itself is great – the slide making is a huge hit with my son! Thanks.’
‘An emotive exhibition which captured the negative and supportive lifestyle of people in the hospital.’
‘Evoked so many memories of people we have known and loved.’
‘We really enjoyed this show and loved the way it had interactive parts! Wonderful! Hauntingly Beautiful with a dose of playful innocence. Loved it! ‘
‘Thank you so much for the experience and the opportunities brought by this event. Words are not enough.’
‘A Private Land’ stretched my thinking, so many threads spinning on conversations had and not had. Thank you.’
Resources and links
PEAK cymru https://www.peakcymru.org
Talgarth Museum https://www.facebook.com/TalgarthMuseum
Glenside Hospital Museum https://www.glensidemuseum.org.uk
Bethlem Gallery https://bethlemgallery.com
Outside In https://www.instagram.com/outsidein_uk/?hl=en
The restoration Trust Change Minds Project https://restorationtrust.org.uk/change-minds/
Mendip Hospital Cemetery http://www.mendiphospitalcemetery.org.uk
High Royds Hospital website, Talgarth page
http://www.highroydshospital.com/resource/mid-wales-hospital-talgarth/
The role of Arts in Improving Health and Wellbeing
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/929773/DCMS_report_April_2020_finalx__1_.pdf
The Wales Arts Health & Wellbeing Network (WAHWN) https://wahwn.cymru
