Research the world over, including a study conducted in Western Australia, has shown a positive link between a high level of arts engagement and better mental wellbeing.
The City of Cockburn is appealing for you to help it study how locals use art, craft, music, cultural or performing spaces in the City to help further these opportunities and the rich benefits they provide.
The City is conducting an online survey until 28 February to capture people’s opinions on local art and culture opportunities, and will also hold community listening posts and two community workshops where people can offer their thoughts and opinions.
City of Cockburn Events and Cultural Coordinator Marie La Frenais said community feedback to the City’s recent plans and strategies had revealed that art and culture was important to the Cockburn community.
“Your input will help inform the development of a study to recommend what we should build in the future to meet the arts and culture needs of our community,” Ms La Frenais said.
“Now we want to know how you experience or express art and culture in the community. Do you travel outside Cockburn to access art spaces, or do you not have a space for creative activity at all.
“We've engaged specialists to assist us with this study but we can’t do it without community input to guide it.”
How to have your say:
Attend a Listening Post:
- 7.30-10am, Sunday 16 February, Local Farmers Market, Wandi at Litoria Drive (near Honeywood Primary School)
Attend a Community Workshop (for catering purposes RSVP online):
- 6-7.30pm Wednesday, 19 February, Memorial Hall, 435 Carrington Street, Hamilton Hill
- 10-11.30am 21 February, Youth Centre Hall, 45 Wentworth Parade, Success
Write by sending an email or mail to City of Cockburn, PO Box 1215, Bibra Lake DC WA 6965.
An analysis of 702 people from Western Australia in a study published in 2016 found that those who engaged in a high level of arts engagement for about two hours a week, were more optimistic and cheerful, were interested in other people and new things, could think clearly and felt loved.
Davies, C., Knuiman, M. & Rosenberg, M. The art of being mentally healthy: a study to quantify the relationship between recreational arts engagement and mental well-being in the general population.
BMC Public Health 16, 15 (2015).