A NEW multimedia art installation will explore the relationship between our mental health and nature.

Mind Trees of the Urban Forest is a collaborative installation that will make use of video, painting, and text of people’s experiences with mental health, community support, and the importance of nature.

“The aim of the project is to find out how people connect with each other and exploration into good mental health by using trees and the forest as an analogy,” explains Susan Cartwright-Smith, the project curator.

She had been reading about the way that trees communicate with one another when she realised that humans and trees aren’t so dissimilar.

Local artists, writers, crafters, and other creative types have taken a prompt that calls on them to explore the relationship between the mind and nature, and they have gone wild with it.

The process of working with other people can be quite healing and brings a fresh perspective to the project.

“One lady has made a sculpture out of material that she found while she was walking through the forest,” remarked Ms Cartwright-Smith.

“She’s clearing the forest as she goes and keeps it beautiful.”

Other people are going outside to paint which has created a “two-layered version of what the project is about.”

Tying the project together is a film that is being produced by Philip Hewitson.

“I just hope it can compliment all the words, and the work being produced,” said Mr Hewitson.

“I think the film can be a really interesting way of presenting how people respond to mental health issues.”

Anonymous testimonials of mental health service users will act as a guiding light for those who may be struggling with mental health issues.

“It is emotional, it draws people out,” comments Ms Cartwright-Smith.

“You find that you’re having thoughts about things that you may not want to.

“Examining it through art work or writing makes it easier to deal with.”

It will be exhibited in the Old Fire Station in Carlisle at the end of August during the Carlisle Collective Fringe festival.