Can Art Save Us? – Conversations on Arts, Mental Health, Social Justice & Wellbeing.

After nine seasons, 65 episodes and more than 6,000 downloads, I'm very grateful that this independent podcast has earned the trust of listeners and artists around the world. Thank you to every guest and listener because this reach has been built entirely through organic growth and without a paid PR machine. I'm now reliably informed that the series is placed well ahead of the majority of new podcasts and with continued growth. So, thank you. To mark this shared achievement, I wanted to close 2025 with something special, a feature on an arts organisation that shares and embodies the values this series supports. The Arts House in Wakefield, also known as the House That Art Built, is a leading example of what is possible, even in the toughest economic climate. This small but long-established arts charity remains steadfast in its mission to champion diversity, inclusion and transformative change. This isn't about tokenism, its core to everything they do. Together in this episode, we'll explore how the arts can help us think more deeply, feel more fully and imagine more generously. The Art House demonstrates what we should all be able to expect when it comes to participating in the arts and to discover multiple benefits that can help shape a better world to live in.

In this feature I had the pleasure to talk to:

Damon Jackson-Waldock, the Co-Executive Director at the Art House.

Amelia Baron, Curator and Program Coordinator at the Art House. 

Tonye Ekine, who had a recent solo exhibition at the Art House, When the Dawn Delays, We Rise Anyway. Listed in the Top 40, Rising Stars by the Royal Society of British Artists. 

Dr. Victoria Claire, who had a recent solo exhibition at the Art House, Sense of Sculpture. Victoria is a registered blind professional artist in contemporary sculpture. In 2024, she was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Arts from the University of Greater Manchester for her Outstanding Contribution to Public Art.

I hope you are inspired by the truly human centered work and kindness of The Art House. Your host, Paula

All images courtesy of The Art House.

Discover:

The Art House https://the-arthouse.org.uk/

Artist, Tonye Ekine https://www.instagram.com/wherestonye/?hl=en

Tonye Ekine, Season 7 https://canartsaveus.podbean.com/e/seeing-beyond-the-masks-ancient-and-social/

Artist, Dr. Victoria Claire https://www.victoriaclaire-beyondvision.com/

Artist, Amelia Baron https://www.ameliabaron.co.uk/

Production:

Series Audio Editor - Joey Quan.

Series Music - Courtesy of Barry J. Gibb

Closed Captions are added to all audio interviews in this series.

Read only, text transcripts of every interview, news, reviews and your host, Paula Moore, are available here: https://canartsaveus.com/

THANK YOU FOR LISTENING. PLEASE SHARE THIS FREE TO LISTEN SERIES TO HELP MAKE THE ARTS ALL OF OURS. 

Can Art Save Us? – Conversations on Arts, Mental Health, Social Justice & Wellbeing.

Tom Lutz, is a celebrated author, travel photographer, founder of the Los Angeles Review of Books and a distinguished professor at UC Riverside, the University of California. His current book is: 1925 - A Literary Encyclopedia, and this is much more than a reference work. This is a cultural x-ray on 1925, which he identifies as “the most stunning year.” Tom presents 1925 as a collage of literature, art, dance, music, the rise of advertising and more. You can take a curious tour and you'll encounter a wide range of courageous writers and artists. He's also currently working with a Los Angeles-based production company on a television show set in the 1920s. Tom writes, “In 1925, I could see the seeds of virtually every aspect of our cultural life, from art and politics to the fear of environmental collapse and the alarming rise of right-wing authoritarianism.” And this book raises an important question. What can we learn from the creative and social breakthroughs of 1925, when a hundred years later the world still mirrors division, ideology and struggles for equality? As Tom notes, “we have come far and yet not very far at all," but we end with hope. 1925 shows us how positive change was, and still can be achieved - that art is necessary.

Discover Tom Lutz: https://www.tomlutzwriter.com/

Production:

Series Audio Editor - Joey Quan.

Series Music - Courtesy of Barry J. Gibb

Closed Captions are added to all audio interviews in this series.

Read only, text transcripts of every interview, news, reviews and your host, Paula Moore, are available here: https://canartsaveus.com/

THANK YOU FOR LISTENING. PLEASE SHARE THIS FREE TO LISTEN SERIES TO HELP MAKE THE ARTS ALL OF OURS. 

Can Art Save Us? – Conversations on Arts, Mental Health, Social Justice & Wellbeing.

Birungi Kawooya is a self-taught British-Ugandan artist, wellbeing researcher, and creative facilitator. Her name, Birungi, means 'Bringer of Good Things,' a name deeply rooted in Ugandan culture. Her art practice is a return to her heritage. Reconnecting with Ugandan culture, artisanal practices, and the natural environment, has been central to her personal recovery. After a marketing career in London left her deeply burnt out, Birungi turned toward art and healing. She began exploring the trauma she experienced as a Black, disabled woman, and as a child growing up in London with working-class roots. Self-care has come through creating art with natural fibres such as palm and banana leaves, embracing afro-somatic movement and dances of the African diaspora, whilst keeping an emphasis on rest and simply being enough. Birungi’s work reminds us that care is cultural, creative, and communal, and that healing practices from the Global Majority have long offered wisdom, balance, and restoration. Her workshops offer safe, healing spaces for Black women and non-binary people. And, as a true 'Bringer of Good Things,' she offers community care through mindfulness rooted in African practices, nurturing healing and connection. Her spaces of cultural rootedness are acts of both resistance and restoration, where Birungi invites you to dream, rest, and heal.

Images courtesy of Birungi Kawooya.

Discover Birungi Kawooya: https://birungikawooyaart.com/home/

Production:

Series Audio Editor - Joey Quan.

Series Music - Courtesy of Barry J. Gibb

Closed Captions are added to all audio interviews in this series.

Read only, text transcripts of every interview, news, reviews and your host, Paula Moore, are available here: https://canartsaveus.com/

THANK YOU FOR LISTENING. PLEASE SHARE THIS FREE TO LISTEN SERIES TO HELP MAKE THE ARTS ALL OF OURS. 

Can Art Save Us? – Conversations on Arts, Mental Health, Social Justice & Wellbeing.

Today, public relations is powered by digital storytelling, inclusivity, immersive experiences, data and hybrid strategies. But it's also shaped by distinct and diverse artists who happen to be PR creatives. And that's exactly what this exhibition episode uncovers and celebrates. For the first time, the Art of PR, liberates these artists from the client brief. Now in its second year, this dedicated exhibition showcases PR professionals as artists telling their own creative stories. The Coningsby Gallery in London has hosted both editions, and this year you can also explore the online exhibition until the 15th of October, thanks to Occhi Arts & Entertainment. The link is below on this episode page.

Joining us today are Ade Lee, founder of the Art of PR. Ade also specialises in wet plate photography, creating unique contemporary portraits and images by returning to Victorian techniques of the 1850s.

Fola Odumosu, is a sculptor who handcrafts abstract forms, working intuitively. She develops a dialogue with her materials, building imagined architecture that can both rise from the canvas or stand as three-dimensional works.

Simon Moore, is a fine artist, creative director, designer, illustrator and animator. His work has been shown in the BP Portrait Award at London's National Portrait Gallery and he's equally at home scaling up to film billboards or street art.

Nadia Padayachy, is a portrait artist whose work captures raw emotional depth. Themes of parenting, love, resilience and connection run through her paintings with unflinching honesty. Nadia was also quarter finalist on Sky Arts Portrait Artist of the Year in 2024 and her work also includes a lifelong passion for cinema.

We talk about the courage it takes to be an artist, to stand in your own vulnerability, building confidence through connection, leaving comfort zones, but supporting wellbeing. We explore the gift of reflection in abstract art, the role of narrative and recognition, the influence of cinema, finding fulfilment, whether your art is commercial or not, and the creative engine of curiosity. 

You can enjoy The Art of PR, online exhibition with 19 diverse, artists, beautifully presented, courtesy of Occhi Arts & Entertainment. It's available until the 15th of October, just scroll down to Enter Exhibition: 

https://occhicontemporary.org/online-gallery/

And in Season 7, meet two more distinct artists, also exhibiting in The Art of PR, Tonye Ekine and David Emmanuel Noel, highlighting identity, personal and social wellbeing.

Images, kind permission of:

Ade Lee - 1. Self portrait 2. Peruvian puppeteer Bella.

Fola Odumosu - 1. Infinite 2. Comfort Zone

Simon Moore - 1. Flotsam and Jetsam 2. Time Is the Old Justice

Nadia - 1. Sleeping with Babies

Discover the artists:

Ade Lee: https://www.instagram.com/aderollei/?hl=en-gb

Fola Odumosu: https://www.folaodumosu.com/

Simon Moore: https://www.burkeandhare.net/

Nadia Padayachy: https://www.instagram.com/nadiapadayachy/?hl=en-gb

Coningsby Gallery, The Art of PR:

https://www.coningsbygallery.com/exhibition/art-of-pr-september-2025

Exhibition soundtrack, Hoxton Radio:

https://hoxtonradio.com/nondef-cd-sounds-art-of-pr-2025/

Production:

Series Audio Editor - Joey Quan.

Series Music - Courtesy of Barry J. Gibb

Closed Captions are added to all audio interviews in this series.

Read only, text transcripts of every interview, news, reviews and your host, Paula Moore, are available here: https://canartsaveus.com/

THANK YOU FOR LISTENING. PLEASE SHARE THIS FREE TO LISTEN SERIES TO HELP MAKE THE ARTS ALL OF OURS. 

Can Art Save Us? – Conversations on Arts, Mental Health, Social Justice & Wellbeing.

You may be someone who has already experienced a 360 life change through ill health, or are currently supporting somebody with a life changing diagnosis. Dr Shanali Perera's own 360 story is one of sudden, abrupt and frightening change. 10 years ago, as a medical doctor, Shanali was specializing in rheumatology with a specific interest in vasculitis, a rare autoimmune disease, only to become diagnosed with it herself. Her fast tracked medical career was derailed, leaving her with uncertainty, loss and fear. It was when she turned to visual digital art that she found not only a new form of expression, but finally regained control of her experience. Today as a practicing artist, including acrylic paint on canvas, her work is at the intersection of art, medical education and patient advocacy. Shanali is an activist, her art, writing and talks put human experience at the center of patient care and medical learning. It's through the therapeutic benefits of art and expression as an alternative language that both clinicians and patients can dramatically improve care and self-management. Her book, Finding Me Beyond Illness, is a visual narrative about her transformation. She illustrates her personal pathway, and invites patients to take similar steps that help make human, medical and art concepts, one conversation.

Discover Shanali Perera: https://www.shanaliperera.com/

Series Audio Editor - Joey Quan.

Series Music - Courtesy of Barry J. Gibb

Closed Captions are added to all audio interviews in this series.

Read only, text transcripts of every interview, news, reviews and your host, Paula Moore, are available here: https://canartsaveus.com/

THANK YOU FOR LISTENING. PLEASE SHARE THIS FREE TO LISTEN SERIES TO HELP MAKE THE ARTS ALL OF OURS. 

Can Art Save Us? – Conversations on Arts, Mental Health, Social Justice & Wellbeing.

Professor Ericka Verba, is the director of Latin American Studies at California State University. She's an author and a musician, recently reviewed as a rising star by the Los Angeles magazine voyage LA. She is notably the author of the first English language biography of Violeta Parra out now entitled Thanks to Life. The title translates Parra's iconic song, Gracias a la Vida, famously covered by Joan Baez and many more. Violeta Parra is one of Chile's most important women artists and Ericka's study of her life and work spans five decades. Her deep expertise translates into the reviews, describing it as a "stunning achievement" and "deeply moving." She both navigates and honors the life of a complex woman, an artist who shattered gender, racial and class barriers. Violeta Parra collected and preserved Chilean folk music as a personal mission, now of huge national significance and made an important contribution to Chile's protest music movement. New Song. Thanks to life, underscores the power of art as a force for change. Parra represented voices that were otherwise unheard in her songs, notably women workers and indigenous peoples. She broke extraordinary barriers as a recording and visual artist working across paintings, ceramics and tapestries. In 1964 she became the first self taught Latin American visual artist to hold a solo exhibition at the Museum of Decorative Arts, housed in the Louvre, Paris, tragically in 1967 and this biography documents her travels throughout Latin America and Europe at the height of the Cold War. It's intertwined with her conflicting identities and the meaning of authenticity. This biography is a legacy work of passion and compassion. 

Discover Ericka Verba https://erickaverba.com/

Series Audio Editor - Joey Quan.

Series Music - Courtesy of Barry J. Gibb

Closed Captions are added to all audio interviews in this series.

Read only, text transcripts of every interview, news, reviews and your host, Paula Moore, are available here: https://canartsaveus.com/

THANK YOU FOR LISTENING. PLEASE SHARE THIS FREE TO LISTEN SERIES AND HELP MAKE THE ARTS ALL OF OURS. 

Can Art Save Us? – Conversations on Arts, Mental Health, Social Justice & Wellbeing.

Tere Chad is a multidisciplinary artist and curator from Chile, currently based in London. She is fast rising as an international artist and to date she has held seven solo exhibitions, completed seven residencies participated in more than 50 collective exhibitions and has curated over 20 shows on four different continents. Her practice includes sculpture, painting, poetry, performance, textiles, installation and silversmithing. Promoting Latin American art and culture is core to her work and the Global South informs her response to the climate crisis, migration, sustainability and humanity. In 2020, she was granted a global talent visa for exceptional promise to continue her practice here in the UK. She graduated with a Masters of Art in sculpture from the Royal College of Art and in 2021, she was accepted as a member of the Royal Society of Sculptors. Tere observes modern life and the impact of fast-changing technologies, media sensationalism and digital distortion on human connections. She elevates what ancient civilisations and indigenous knowledge can teach us. A significant and current project that began in 2017 is Neo-Norte or New North, an artistic research initiative that turns the world map upside down to challenge dominant geopolitical narratives and the displacement of power. Neo-Norte has showcased internationally with more than 565,000 visitors fostering cross-cultural dialogues for an interconnected world. Tere Chad, is as a deeply thoughtful, international artist with a global identity and strong Chilean roots.

Images are subject to copyright, courtesy of Tere Chad, please see credit list below.

Discover Tere Chad https://www.terechad.com/

Series Audio Editor - Joey Quan.

Series Music - Courtesy of Barry J. Gibb

Closed Captions are added to all audio interviews in this series.

Read only, text transcripts of every interview, news, reviews and your host, Paula Moore, are available here: https://canartsaveus.com/

IMAGE CREDITS

COLUMN ONE

Woven Hug 2.0, Tere Chad, Cordelia Rizzo (Documentation: Kavod Films); Flowerfield Arts Centre, Linen Biennale, Portstewart, Northern Ireland (2023).

Abrazo Entramado 1.0 (Woven Hug 1.0), Tere Chad, Cordelia Rizzo (CC BY NC-SA CONARTE); LABNL Lab Cultural Ciudadano, Monterrey, México (2022).

COLUMN TWO

6 Neo Norte 5.0, Act of Relational Art, Collaborators: Tere Chad, Tere Chad, Asia Artom, Concepción García Sánchez, Cindy Lilen, Anastasia Marcelja, Giada Marchese, Lidia Maugeri, Debra Pollarino, Ines Rocques, Alessandro Rebesani (Documentation: Movies Move Us); Spazio Zelda, Venice, Italy (2024).

COLUMN 3

Zurciendo Vacíos (Mending Voids), Tere Chad, Cordelia Rizzo, UDEM CRGS, Centro Cultural Plaza Fátima (Documentation: CC BY SA LABNL); LABNL, Monterrey, México (2023).

Zurciendo Vacíos (Mending Voids), Tere Chad, Cordelia Rizzo, UDEM CRGS, LABNL (Documentation: Grecia Evangelina); Centro Cultural Plaza Fátima, San Pedro Garza García, México (2023).

THANK YOU FOR LISTENING. PLEASE SHARE THIS FREE TO LISTEN SERIES AND HELP MAKE THE ARTS ALL OF OURS.

Can Art Save Us? – Conversations on Arts, Mental Health, Social Justice & Wellbeing.

Nicola Avramovich is not only considered one of Serbia's finest classical pianists, but one of the best of his generation.  He is a sought after performer giving numerous recitals and chamber music concerts worldwide, including prestigious festivals and leading concert halls here in the UK, Nicola Avramovich is the recipient of numerous prestigious scholarships and awards, including the Benjamin Britten Piano Fellowship at the Royal College of Music in London. This fellowship is only awarded every two years to an outstanding pianist preparing for a career as an international soloist. He is an exciting, incredibly disciplined talent. Nicola is recognized as an exceptional talent, and he also has a deep appreciation of folklore. He interpreted Serbian folk music that he grew up with from a very early age on the piano. As an accomplished classical pianist, he has also celebrated these musical roots in his forthcoming release, Origins, which brings together music by composers from Serbia, Hungary, Romania and other Eastern European countries. Nicola has composed and improvised folk melodies in this unique classical recording, which he has performed in several countries, including China, to a wonderful response and a European tour is to follow. His repertoire is described as “superb and authentic.” There is a beautiful message in his work that music has no boundaries. It is both transcending and unifying a common humanity that can be shared. In this episode you will also hear a performance extract, Nikola's own, stunning transcription of the Serbian folk dance, Vranje.

Discover Nikola Avramovich on Instagram @n_avramovic_

Nikola Avramovich performs Vranje https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQfrDQB8oTA

Genuin Record Label https://www.genuinclassics.com/_new/artist_1.php?k=848

Series Audio Editor - Joey Quan.

Series Music - Courtesy of Barry J. Gibb

Closed Captions are added to all audio interviews in this series.

Read only, text transcripts of every interview, news, reviews and your host, Paula Moore, are available here: https://canartsaveus.com/

THANK YOU FOR LISTENING. PLEASE SHARE THIS FREE TO LISTEN SERIES AND HELP MAKE THE ARTS ALL OF OURS. 

Can Art Save Us? – Conversations on Arts, Mental Health, Social Justice & Wellbeing.

Gabriela Elisabeth Edawani Fernandez, known as Ina Leah, is a transdisciplinary artist and her work is rooted in the practices of the indigenous Lamaholot people of East Nusa Tengara, home of her cultural heritage. The Lamaholot people are indigenous to the southernmost province of Indonesia and the small islands around it. It's an area of natural beauty. Gabriela weaves together art and wellbeing practices, including improvisational music, expressive painting, collective dance, traditional crafts, and moving image. There's a deep level of integration between the different disciplines she works with, building a holistic knowledge and respect for cultural heritage.  She's deeply inspired by cultural traditions and collective participation that understands the interconnectedness of humans and the natural world. As a contemporary artist, you can also find Gabriela Fernandez on Spotify, along with well over 16,000 listeners. For a celebration of musical heritage, oral tradition and sound art. Ina is deeply sensitive to noise. She talks openly about her ADHD and autism and as a neuro-divergent creator she understands the need for calm in our lives. Gabriela is committed to the healing powers of art on our physical and mental wellbeing, and the name she has given herself as an artist reflects healing. Leah is an anagram of the word heal, and Ina means mother in the Lamaholic language. We talk about her mission in holistic health, grounded in cultural identity.

Discover Ina Leah https://www.artwithinaleah.com/

The Embodiment of Care https://www.artwithinaleah.com/embodimentofcare-improvisation

Series Audio Editor - Joey Quan.

Series Music - Courtesy of Barry J. Gibb

Closed Captions are added to all audio interviews in this series.

Read only, text transcripts of every interview, news, reviews and your host, Paula Moore, are available here: https://canartsaveus.com/

THANK YOU FOR LISTENING. PLEASE SHARE THIS FREE TO LISTEN SERIES AND HELP MAKE THE ARTS ALL OF OURS. 

Can Art Save Us? – Conversations on Arts, Mental Health, Social Justice & Wellbeing.

Jane Wright is a ceramicist, violinist and champion of community arts. A West Yorkshire born musician and artist, Jane is now based in the iconic seaside town of Margate in Kent, famous for its art history. Margate was home to the renowned water colourist Turner, considered to be the best loved English Romantic artist, and it's currently home to Tracey Emin, famously known for her confessional art. Between world class artists and the Turner Contemporary Gallery. Margate has a thriving community art scene, and Jayne is the project founder of Tiles of Joy, a community arts, Happiness Project. Over 1000 hand crafted tiles have already been made in workshops and at least 4000 people have bought one of Jane's tiles. This trail of happiness is bringing people together from all walks of life, promoting creativity and community spirit. As a ceramicist, Jane is also known for her body positive, Mermaid Army, a collection of tiles and stoneware sculptures of people who wild swim. They represent stories of nostalgia and empowerment. One sculpture represents Gill Castle, who became the first person ever to swim the channel with a stoma, raising awareness of childbirth injuries. Currently, the mermaid sculptures are touring with the message words matter, part of the campaign This Ends Now, raising awareness of male violence against women and girls. Her work consistently shows solidarity and support for the causes she cares about, including the sewing resistance, a global textile project. Her current exhibition, Long, explores the cultural significance of long hair in relation to femininity, identity and power. Jane's art is about awareness, advocacy, activism, and championing joy.

Discover Jayne Wright at the Turner Contemporary Art Gallery, Margate.

https://shop.turnercontemporary.org/collections/jayne-wright

Current Exhibition, Long, at the Liminal Gallery, Margate.

https://liminal-gallery.com/collections/jayne-wright-long

Series Audio Editor - Joey Quan.

Series Music - Courtesy of Barry J. Gibb

Closed Captions are added to all audio interviews in this series.

Read only, text transcripts of every interview, news, reviews and your host, Paula Moore, are available here: https://canartsaveus.com/

THANK YOU FOR LISTENING. PLEASE SHARE THIS FREE TO LISTEN SERIES AND HELP MAKE THE ARTS ALL OF OURS.