S2S: Director's note | S2S: Playwright's note | S2S: Who was Ashley Smith? | S2S: Research | S2S: Videos | S2S: Exhibition | S2S: Symposium | S2S: Media coverage | S2S: Relevant links | S2S: Feedback from Ashley Smith's last lawyer | S2S: Excerpted jury recommendations | S2S: Anonymous stories
Small Acts of Repair Toward Mental Health: A Space for Engagement
March 10 to March 22 in ML Gallery | Open 9 am to 4 pm on weekdays, and until 10 pm on performance days
In creating From Solitary to Solidarity, uWaterloo students will use different methods to research and explore attitudes toward mental health and institutions in society. Opening in the first week of March, the project will present a student-designed interactive exhibition on public perceptions and responses to mental health, and to the experiences of Ashley Smith.
Through the use of art, dance, writing and reflection this space aims to explore the state of mental health at our university and in the surrounding community. The organizers invite all students, faculty, and community members to visit this space in hopes that we can begin a conversation about mental health. By exploring what mental health is and what it means in the university community, we aim to challenge existing stigmas surrounding mental health. This space will explore what difficulties those with mental illness face, in daily life and when reaching out for help. This space symbolizes our “Small Act of Repair”, in which we hope to take steps towards a greater understanding of individual experiences with mental health, and promote awareness of the presence of mental health.
The goals of the exhibition are to educate and challenge people’s perceptions about:
- What mental health is
- What challenges people face when dealing with mental health, either an issue or the challenges people encounter when trying to receive help
- How people cope with mental health issues, this is an opportunity to raise awareness about different coping skills
Some of the items you can discover:
Mock cell - With this mock cell, we aim to recreate a setting of confinement and isolation, similar to that which Ashley lived in. Isolation is also a major theme and struggle with mental health, therefore we invite you to leave a message reflecting upon or connecting your experiences in our space, with mental health.
Anonymous stories about experiences with mental health & mental health services– Stories and experiences written by uWaterloo students displayed as laundry. Through this we hope to show problems students face when dealing with mental health issues, and the barriers they encounter when reaching for help.
List of Inquest Jury recommendations – This is a list of the changes that the inquest jury recommended be made to the prison system after they ruled the case of Ashley Smith a homicide. We invite you to reflect upon the impact Ashley’s story has on approaching the state of mental health, in the prison system and in our community. What do these recommendations mean? How do they relate to you? Can they offer a small act of repair?
Artwork related to mental health issues – Created by uWaterloo Fine Arts students
Auditory Experiences – We invite you to listen to one of our three headsets which, each which will simulate experiences with or triggering to mental health.