Doncaster Art Movement Video Project aims to make art accessible to all

The Doncaster Art Movement Video Project was set up by Chinwe Russell, a painter from Townmoor.

She said: “I’m always thinking about ways to get more people interested and educated in art.

“I’ve found that some Doncaster people do not feel like art is for them and might be a little embarrassed by their lack of knowledge.

“But I want people to realise that art is for everyone not just for the elite.”

Chinwe has collaborated with other artists to make short videos on topics such as Romanticism and Impressionism in the hopes that they will be easy and fun to watch.

The project is being backed by the Doncaster Council under the Fighting Back Fund.

Chinwe said: “The idea is for the average joe to gain a basic understanding of the arts so that they can feel more confident to engage with the industry, visit art fairs and exhibitions, discuss art, collect art and so on.

“Art is so important and great for mental health, especially during a lockdown.

“So many people use art as therapy as you can express emotions on a canvas that you may not be able to speak.”

Chinwe is so passionate about the link between mental health and art that she is also organising an online exhibition based exclusively on the topic.

It will launch on June 14 and is named “Art as a response to Mental Health,” artists have been asked to submit work digitally and then the public will be able to vote on which pieces they like best.

The top 30 will later be shown in a real-life exhibition post Covid-19.

There have so far been 235 submissions from all over the world.

There will be 20 videos made as part of the visual collection - there are currently seven up on their website made by artists such as Rebecca Wright and Becky Rydall.

You can watch them here.

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