FuseArts: First Contact

"Can you spot if a person is struggling with their mental health and needs support?  Are you confident and bold enough to ask them if they need help?  How would you do it?  What would you say?  What words would you choose and what effect could they have?" Fuse has once again brought together a number of partnerships on this innovative project: creative technology company Despite the Monkey, Wakehurst, and the University of Surrey. “First Contact” is a bold interactive multi-media installation funded by Arts Council England and staged as part of Mental Health Awareness Week with the support of the Mental Health Foundation. The installation, which takes the form of a family-friendly walking trail in the lush grounds of Wakehurst, is led by a specially designed phone app and is a fusion of smartphone technology, soundscape, narrative, and visual art. Visitors are invited to enjoy the medicinal effects that nature can have on our well-being while thinking about how our preconceptions and interactions can affect those in need. They are also invited to be part of an important evaluation project for the psychology department of the University of Surrey into our attitudes to Mental Health.