As we come to the end of the year, we’re reflecting on our recent Well City course at Wiltshire Creative. This autumn, local photographer Ash Mills (photography by Ash Mills) led a group of budding photographers in our Exploring Photography course, learning about and applying the “history of fine art photography” as one of our participants put it.

Looking at composition and patterns at Salisbury Playhouse, landscapes of Bourne Hill, a spooktacular dark light and fog Halloween photoshoot with the help of our tech team, and mini photoshoots where even Ash himself got in front of the camera for a change, were just some of the activities before ending on a trip to Langford Lakes – despite the seasonal wet weather! We even got to explore camera-less ways of taking images.

Photography can be a great tool for wellbeing. It helps us refocus, look closer or open out, to be in the moment, and can get us out into nature.

Our next Well City course is Drawing Closer to Nature, a course delivered online last year by artist Elizabeth Hammond, now coming in person at the Salisbury Arts Centre- exploring drawing, ink, and nature for wellbeing, which is now fully booked.

Well-City Salisbury is about connection – to the arts, to heritage, to our local area, to the landscape, and to each other.

This partnership project with Wessex Archaeology, Wiltshire Creative and Art Care at SDH (Salisbury District Hospital) supports people with low to medium mental health needs in the Salisbury area on their wellbeing journey through free creative courses and volunteering opportunities.

To find out about the Well City Salisbury project and book a free creative well-being course, visit: www.wellcitysalisbury.co.uk