THE HEALING POWER OF art

One of the earliest examples of art in the world is a single red handprint that was created over 40,000 years ago deep in the Altamira caves in north-western Spain. We will never know who left it or why, but what we do know is that it was intentional. Art is what sets us apart from the rest of the animal kingdom – for thousands of years, humans have used it to communicate, for ceremony and celebration, to record details of our existence, and as a form of expression. Now, there is increasing evidence to suggest that visual art also has the potential to heal us from daily stress and even past trauma. Put simply, art is good for us.

Mental health issues are at an all-time high, with the World Health Organization reporting in March that