An overview: CoolTan Arts walk with Arthur Smith in celebration of World Mental Health Day 2011

By Victoria Purcell on November 4th 2011

On Saturday 15 October, a beautiful bright autumn day, more than 90 CoolTan Arts participants, volunteers, supporters and patrons gathered outside Maudsely Hospital to begin a monumental sponsored walk. CoolTan Arts, based just off the Walworth Road, believes mental well-being is enhanced by the power of creativity, and the BIG Largactyl Shuffle was organised to celebrate World Mental Health Day and explore the history of the NHS from “Cradle to Grave”. 

The Deputy Mayor of Southwark, Cllr Althea Smith and Cllr Dora Dixon Fyle - Cabinet Member for Health and Adult Social Care, joined the walk, as did comedian and broadcaster Arthur Smith, to open proceedings. Smith, alongside Maggi Hambling, Sokari Douglas Camp, Ali Smith, Clare Allen and Rosemary Shrager, is a patron of the charity.

Highlights included a unique tree-planting ceremony on Camberwell Green. A Gingko tree was planted, a ‘living sculpture’, made possible with funding from the Cleaner Greener Safer initiative, awarded by Southwark Council.

Michelle Baharier, CEO of CoolTan Arts, said: “CoolTan are very proud to have this unique commission on Camberwell Green, both as a legacy for our organisation and a reminder to keep mental health on the agenda”. During the tree planting ceremony, Cllr Dixon-Fyle said: “Keep CoolTan in the Frame, that’s exactly what we’re going to do”.

The walk was staged as a fundraiser against crippling cuts from the NHS. Well-wishers will be pleased to hear that staff, volunteers, participants and patrons have to date raised a total of £6225 in aid of the charity. CoolTan Arts is a mental health and arts charity offering a full creative programme, from visual arts and sculpture to film-making and pod-casting, as well as self-advocacy sessions. 

The day was a huge success with fun, poetry, history and creative talks along the way. Amos Phillips, Chair of CoolTan Arts Trustees expressed his thoughts on the day’s success: “I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to everyone who was involved in CoolTan Art’s Sponsored Shuffle through, participating, fundraising and organising. The superb weather and unique camaraderie created by this year’s shuffle made the day thoroughly uplifting and enlightening. I would like to wholeheartedly welcome everyone back on next year’s walk!”

The event culminated in a film screening, refreshments and socialising at Tate Modern, including home-made cakes and an impromptu performance from participant Julius Xavier, with his new song, Personalisation Is For Us! 

You can still sponsor the walk ‘No Health without Mental Health’ by visiting: www.justgiving.com/cooltanarts

CoolTan Arts’ next Largactyl Shuffle, with a special William Blake theme, takes place on Saturday 19 November.

The free guided cultural walk around Southwark aims to promote mental health and physical wellbeing, while de-stigmatising mental distress, using art, humour and history and

This walk focuses on William Blake, an English poet, painter, and printmaker (1757–1827). Largely unrecognized during his lifetime, Blake is now considered a seminal figure in the history of both the poetry and visual arts of the Romantic Age. During the walk you will explore themes of Poetry, Art, The City of London, Blake’s influence on artists, Religion, Politics, Revolutionaries, Abolition, Riots and Mental Health, not to mention Non-Conformism!

The walk is suitable for people with a disabilities and wheel chair users. Please bring a packed lunch and drinks, wear suitable clothes and sensible footwear. All welcome!

The walk starts at Tate Modern and finishes at Bunhill, 12noon–4pm. Free, but donations welcome. For further information call Lu Firth or Susan McNally on 020 7701 2696 / 0798 565 8443. To donate see www.justgiving.com/cooltanarts

CoolTan Arts, Unit B 237 Walworth Road SE17 1RL; 020 7701 2696; www.cooltanarts.org.uk; www.facebook.com/cooltanarts

Members Comments

There are no comments for this article.

Add a Comment

Please log in to post a comment.