Allie Watson is among the artists taking part in the Expressions of Trauma exhibition, which is organised by Healthwatch Essex and hosted in partnership with the charity’s Trauma Ambassador Group.
The exhibition at the Minories Gallery in Colchester opens to the public on World Mental Health Day on Thursday 10 October and runs until 10 November. It features multi-media pieces covering sensitive themes including bereavement, abuse, chronic pain, and forced adoption.
Allie is a Trauma Ambassador for Healthwatch Essex, and a volunteer for Open Arts, a community arts and mental health programme managed within the Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (EPUT) Charity Fund.
Allie, from Southend, said: “We were keen to exhibit all forms of art so there will be a wide range of mediums including spoken word and written word.
“We are trying to show that people use art in all different forms to help them process trauma.”
She discovered a talent for art after a series of traumatic events led her to take part in a course run by Open Arts.
Allie had to give up her job in retail management – a career she had built up over 27 years – when she underwent brain surgery in 2016, which affected her memory.
Not long after that, she suffered severe nerve damage in her dominant arm after undergoing other surgery.
The sudden death of a loved one compounded the impact, and Allie found herself going from being outgoing and confident to not being able to leave her house.
She had a breakdown and was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and borderline personality disorder.
While in the care of EPUT’s Southend Community Mental Health Team, she found out about Open Arts, which led to her discovering new skills and a passion for collage and textiles.
She also met people who understood what she was going through, and she now supports other people who take part in Open Arts courses.
In her work as a Trauma Ambassador for Healthwatch Essex she helps raise awareness and understanding of trauma to improve health services and ensure people know about the support available to them.
She is also a member of EPUT’s Buddy Scheme, where she uses her life experience to help students and newly qualified staff from a range of clinical professions better understand the needs of people living with mental and physical health conditions.
Allie is exhibiting four pieces as part of Expressions of Trauma, including ‘The Body,’ a detailed life-size artwork made from textiles, which addresses body image and hidden illnesses that people cannot see from the outside.
A second piece is a denim jacket embroidered with words from the soundtrack of her favourite film, The Greatest Showman. She was inspired to make it after seeing beautifully embellished denim jacket on display at a book fair in Norwich.
Another piece depicts how people say they are okay when they are not, while the fourth is a small textile book.
“It tells the story of when I was aged five to eight, a particularly bad time for my trauma,” said Allie.
“It also has quotes in there that resonate with me. The book is called Lost in the Land of The Eye Monsters, because I used to call adults in my life the Eye Monster if I was scared of them.
“When I thought they were going to hurt me, I thought their eyes changed.”
Sharon Westfield-de-Cortez, Healthwatch Essex Information and Guidance Manager and founder of the Trauma Ambassador Group, said: “It has long been a part of conversations within the Trauma Ambassador Group how people living with the effects of trauma often use a creative outlet to help express their thoughts and feelings.
“It has been immensely moving and insightful to connect with a wide range of individuals across the county who were willing to share their artwork with us.
“We hope that this display of mixed media creations will prove a powerful way to raise empathy and awareness of trauma, as well as illustrating the profound talent that lies within our communities.”
Expressions of Trauma will be open every Thursday to Sunday from 10 October until 10 November from 10am to 4pm at The Minories Gallery, 74 High Street, Colchester. Entry to the exhibition is free, and contributors will be in attendance throughout to speak about their work.
Read more about Allie’s work on the Torn Paper Pieces website.
For information about getting support for coping with trauma, Healthwatch Essex has an online Trauma Hub with details about where to find help, as well as information about the Healthwatch Essex Trauma Card and Trauma Ambassador Group.
For more information about Open Arts, visit the Open Arts website.