Recreation

What is the point of an artistic activity? It doesn't feed us, clothe us or keep us warm. It might make us more healthy. It might provide us other useful skills.

I think the most important point is the arts give us a way of enjoying ourselves. It's fun, it's recreational. Through the arts we create a safe social space, we do activities that take us outside ourselves and give us a chance to forget the worries. It's important to forget yourself a little bit.

Artistic endeavour also gives us a safe space to re-engage, to try something new, to prove to ourselves that we can be more than we are now.

I can't think of a more useful social tool than voluntary for fun activites. So many of my friends come through music now, but if they didn't then they would come through some other hobby or activity. There's something in the mix of structure and freedom of expression that collaborative artistic efforts offer that is really good for people, that gives them a breathing space.

Recreation
Re-creation
Regrow, start afresh