At Residencia Hestia Esquerdo, we have launched SaludARTE, a new Occupational Therapy intervention programme that seeks to harness the transformative power of art to improve our service users’ wellbeing.
This project stems from the belief that art and culture not only enrich us but also heal. We want our service users to enjoy meaningful experiences, express themselves, take an active part in the community and find in art a way to care for their mental health.
SaludARTE began in late February with a very special visit to the Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza. It was the first of many activities designed to open our doors to the cultural world around us and experience art first-hand.
During March, to mark Residencia Hestia Esquerdo’s seventh anniversary, we held several painting workshops. Service users themselves chose and reproduced works by great artists such as Gustav Klimt, Gauguin, Van Gogh, Miró, Dalí, Picasso and Kandinsky. Their creations, full of colour and emotion, have transformed our walls into a true art gallery.
The name chosen by service users for this exhibition, SaludARTE, also gives its name to the programme, which we will continue to develop with enthusiasm and excitement. We firmly believe that art is health, and that projects like this bring us closer to a fuller, more meaningful life.
El nombre elegido por los usuarios para esta exposición, SaludARTE, da también nombre al programa, que seguiremos desarrollando con entusiasmo y mucha ilusión. Porque creemos firmemente que el arte es salud, y que proyectos como este nos acercan a una vida más plena y con sentido.