BAAT Home > News > BAAT in the media > Media stories 08/9 >
British Association of Art Therapists
24-27 White Lion Street, London N1 9PD
Tel: 020 7686 4216 Fax: 020 7837 7945
email: info@baat.org
|
|
|
BAAT & art therapy in the media
29/11/2009
Sir Anthony Sher, BAAT's Honorary Patron gave the following interview to the London Evening Standard on Friday:
Sher: Art therapy helped me defeat cocaine demon
Sophie Goodchild
Health Editor
Sir Anthony Sher told today how treatment at a London clinic helped him beat his addiction to cocaine.
The award-winning actor revealed he still has therapy once a week at Capio Nightingale hospital in Marylebone.
He has gone public about his struggle in the hope that more people will seek professional help. The treatment is a form of psychotherapy that helps patients "unlock" problems through painting and drawing.
This week the first exhibition of work by Capio Nightingale patients who have completed the treatment was unveiled at the hospital in Lisson Grove, which has treated Amy Winehouse and Pete Doherty. They include a picture by Sir Anthony – an accomplished artist – at the height of his cocaine habit. The sketch is of a naked man hunched over a broken pane of glass snorting up the shards.
"Anyone who has checked into one of these [clinics] will know you feel very scared," he said. "The group I was in was sent to the art room for something I'd not heard about, which was art therapy. For the first time, I felt a sense of security – at school the art room was a place of comfort and safety. The picture I did on the very first morning was of a naked man leaning on a broken mirror."
"I didn't know where this had come from, but it could be read that it showed how dangerous cocaine is. The figure of the man is very hunky and sexy. That's how I felt on cocaine – that's what's so seductive about it."
The work was painted during his first therapy session, after he checked in for three weeks of rehab in 1996. It followed nearly 20 years of cocaine use which escalated from recreational to "frantic". At his peak, Sir Anthony was snorting two grams a weekend and suffering "coke-overs" – drug induced hangovers.
He started taking the substance at social events, and said it gave him extra confidence, turning a shy individual into the life of the party. "I've been clean for 13 years but I still do art therapy once a week," he added. "It should be more widely available." Sir Anthony, 60, said art therapy also helped him a few years ago when he developed stage fright – just at the time he was receiving critical acclaim for his performances with the Royal Shakespeare Company.
"[Stage fright] was becoming a real problem although no one would have ever known, " he said. "I was seriously thinking about giving up acting."
© Evening Standard, Friday 27 November 2009
Link to Evening Standard article >>
02/11/2009
From the Glasgow Times 22/10/2009
"Art is helping sufferers of dementia"
 |
12/05/2009
Arts and Minds at the Tate - article in The Independent on Sunday and interview with Neil Springham >>
12/05/2009
Letter from Malcolm Learmonth in the Guardian on 13th April - "Relationships, therapy and regulation". Read the Malcolm's and other letters >>
06/05/2009
Val Huet was interviewed on LBC radio by Jeni Barnett at 2.00 pm on Tuesday 5th May talking about Art Therapy and Head Injuries (How well is your brain working?)
Podcast available from LBC for a subscription fee >>
21/04/2009
Picture This - Article by Neil Springham in April 6 edition of Arts Professional magazine
Read the article (tif) >>
If you are a subscriber read article in Art Professional magazine >>
09/03/2009
Letter from Malcolm Learmonth in response to an article in the Guardian about the attacks on complementary health
Original article >> Malcolm's response >>
12/02/2009
Living with "The Black Dog": John Gregory, reporter with the Isle of Man Newspapers, describes his experience of depression and art therapy.
Article in Isle of Man Examiner >>
RADIUS depression awareness concert on 21 February 2009 >>
12/02/2009
Art & Wellbeing exhibition: filmed interviews with Val Huet and Malcolm Learmonth by the Daily Telegraph (short advertisement shows first)
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/4536859/The-healing-powers-of-art-therapy.html
27/01/2009
A preview of the Healing Mind exhibition is on the 24 Hour Museum website: http://www.24hourmuseum.org.uk/exh_gfx_en/ART64801.html
06/01/2009
A five minute video about the Art and Conflict exhibition is on the Daily Telegraph website
06/12/2008
Art and Conflict Exhibition 2/12/208 - 16/01/2009
BAAT is proud to sponsor this exhibition from Combat Stress, a national charity for ex-armed forces personnel who suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorders. The Exhibition is at the Together Gallery in Old Street and features Art from the Clients' art therapy sessions as well as from the activity centre.'
"In Pictures: Combating Trauma" on BBC News web-site >>
Falklands veteran reveals how painting helps him cope
with conflict trauma (Islington Tribune) >>
From the Crawley Observer >>
Full details of the exhibition >>
02/11/2008
Art Therapy used at Saudi "correctional centre" to help young men re-engage with society
09/10/2008
Diagnosis Happiness: Val Huet writes in London Metro
Read the article >>
30/08/2008
Sir Antony Sher has provided another interview called 'The Art of Darkness' to promote Art Therapy - 'Acclaimed actor Sir Antony Sher talks to John Naish about his harrowing new role in the TV Drama God on Trial, battling drugs and why art is the best therapy of all'.
Read the interview in Times On-line >>
In the article itself he states '..it goes back to the art therapy that I've done for years. In the therapy sessions you draw whatever comes to mind, then you and the therapist discuss it. It's been good for me. It brings out the things that are beyond words'. Sher has been in various sorts of therapy over the past 25 years. Why did he start? 'It's difficult,' he says. 'The art therapy came from when I was in a clinic for cocaine dependency tem years ago. I've stayed with that therapist.'
Previous interview with Anthony Sher about his experiences of art therapy(2005) >>
21/08/2008
June 2008
BAAT press Release - AGM in Cardiff >>
May 2008
Article in New Scientist on Complementary Medicine with response from Malcolm Learmonth:
New Scientist Interview with Edzard Ernst, UK's first professor of complementary medicine
Read the interview and Malcolm Learmonth's response >>
07/05/2008
Malcolm Learmonth, Arts and Health lead, BAAT, replied to an article in Society Guardian.
29/02/2008
A letter from Malcolm Learmonth on 'Prozac and the placebo effect' was published in the Guardian on the 29th February that made a parallel between this issue and the evidence used to claim effectiveness for CBT
18/01/2008
Cancer sufferer finds therapy in form of art:
"Proud friends and family gathered at Hampstead Hospice to launch a book by cancer sufferer Dawne Solomons. The 60-year-old was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2003 and says she was helped through her illness by art therapy. Her book contains a collection of art therapy images accompanied by excerpts from her journal at the time."
Full story in Hampstead and Highgate Express >>
23/12/2007
The Observer Newspaper reported on the worrying rise in child suicide bids (16.12.07). Val Huet's letter in response to this article was published in the Observer on the 23.12.07. Please go to the following link to read her letter and other responses.
http://observer.guardian.co.uk/letters/story/0,,2231733,00.html
05/10/2007
Having taken up Val Huet's invitation to attend the Art Therapy in Education Conference on the 5th October, Matt Keating, a Guardian Journalist, wrote an article in the Guardian which has just been published 13 November (p 31 of the Education Supplement) Read full story >>.
