A new exhibition of artwork created in response to the Covid-19 pandemic by people in care homes, residential care facilities, and community support groups will open at Perth’s AK Bell Library this November.

Brighter Days Ahead will celebrate the creative work produced by care home residents and community groups throughout Perthshire. Much of the work going on display was produced during the pandemic as the result of an arts initiative to develop creative wellbeing as an antidote to social isolation and help bring communities together.

The project began in response to an appeal by Ninewells Hospital in Dundee asking people to make knitted hearts as tokens of support.  It was then energised in 2021, thanks to funding from the National Lottery Community Foundation and the Corra Foundation. This enabled artists and cultural practitioners to work together remotely, through the medium of film and online guidance and support, to develop a programme of activity around the headline of Brighter Days Ahead.

The exhibition, which opens on 16 November,  represents a small collection of material created by over 200 participants. The work on display conveys the themes of Creative Wellbeing, Sharing Stories and Connecting Communities, and includes poetry, artwork, photography and crafts.

Visitors to the exhibition will be invited to respond to the artwork in their own way, including the opportunity for older and younger people to create something together.

Linda Grant of Generating Opportunity CIC said, “This project has brought so many smiles to people’s faces and created a real sense of joy, affirmation and connection amongst our participants, who have produced amazing work.”

Robin Patel, Collections Officer – Communities with Culture Perth and Kinross, added, “Generating Opportunities is a shining example of how creative, reflective activity can improve health and wellbeing, particularly as resistance to the pressures of lockdown. The exhibition represents only a small sample of work created a large number of participants, with each item being a spark of positivity during disconnection and isolation.”

Brighter Days Ahead will open on the 16th of November, running until February 2022 at the AK Bell Library, York Place, Perth.