How art is helping some of Hong Kong’s most troubled children to talk again
The Art is My Buddy programme, run by charity Art in Hospital, is providing crucial support to young mental health patients
“One child came to us and was very quiet, but then she created a collage with lots of positive words, and said she wanted to revive her childhood.”
Mimi Tung, art therapist for the Art in Hospital charity, was explaining the organisation’s Art is My Buddy project, which this year will receive about HK$320,000 from Operation Santa Claus to support children with a range of mental health conditions.
Some are suffering bipolar or schizophrenia, but many are struggling with depression and anxiety, particularly around school exam time, the charity’s workers say.
Art therapists hold workshops with young patients at Kwai Chung Hospital, where they encourage them to express their feelings through murals, photography and journal writing.
They report that many teenagers particularly enjoy using their smartphone cameras to create art, which is perhaps unsurprising given the city’s obsession with them.
Jaclyn Leung, the charity’s assistant manager, said doctors had reported a significant change in behaviour, specifically in how communicative they were both during and following a session.