“The University of Leicester is delighted to be the first university to create a Yellow Book. Looking after our staff and student mental health and wellbeing is of the highest priority and we are grateful to have had the opportunity to create such a positive resource for doing so.

We will share The UoL Yellow Book with staff, students, friends, family and neighbours alike to demonstrate our commitment to embedding positive conversations about mental health into the everyday. Creative positive expression is a powerful connector and we trust this book will encourage people to look after themselves and each other.

The art submitted has been inspirational and I would like to extend my personal thanks to every person who has contributed to creating The UoL Yellow Book, the legacy of which I have no doubt will become part of the heart of our university.”

Professor Paul Boyle President and Vice Chancellor,
University of Leicester


“The first step towards recovery from a mental health problem is a very particular moment, the act of self expression. Communication; the airing of feelings that have hitherto remained inside and invisible. Yet all too real and tangible to the person suffering; desperate, terrified that what they feel now will never go away.

The unavoidable truth is that no one can help, until that pain begins to be addressed and articulated. Till it is shared.

The arts are uniquely and perfectly placed to awaken and encourage the creativity that can empower. They provide a context, the vehicle, the means – without insisting on explanation or diagnosis. Image, metaphor and poetry offer the possibility of sharing, of dialogue, and hence of help. A journey towards the light. They possess the ability to look after, nurture and heal our inner selves, our emotional, psychological and spiritual selves, by rendering them public. Gently and truthfully. They address the hidden part of our national health.

Coupled with the #IFeelBetterWhen focus of this project, the arts enable expression that uplifts and inspires both the creator and the observer.

I am deeply proud that the University my grandfather helped to found and the Arts Centre that my father helped to build are collaborating on this visionary and enlightened venture.

“So that they may have life.”
The motto of the University of Leicester.”

Michael Attenborough CBE. D Litt.
Patron of Attenborough Arts Centre

5,000 copies of #TheUoLYellowBook were printed for free distribution within the University.

Congratulations to all:

University of Leicester – #IFeelBetterWhen Entries Published in
#TheUoLYellowBook

After the Climb by Elisa Bertonicini
Beauty of the Night by Siyuan Ren
Cactus by Thilsana Gias
Cepheus by Angie Roberts
Charles Street Buses by Fern Kenney
Daisies by Sue Bee
Doodle by Valeria Zonato
Free by Valeria Zonato
Handmade with Love by Jacky Bingley
Moon River by Rebecca Moore
My First Flowers by Sally Ann Dyer
Nature by Polly Morgan
Nature Soothes by Corinne Fowler
New Moon by Sally Ann Dyer
Reaching for the good things in life by Kamilla Kwiatkowska
Tim by Megan Hunter
Tony by Will Johnston
Unexpected owl by Sally Ann Dyer
I feel better when by Debbie Miles
I feel better when by Debbie Miles

University of Leicester – #IFeelBetterWhen Poetry Published in
#TheUoLYellowBook

University of Leicester – Entries Selected for #TheUoLYellowBook song

“We’re delighted to have created this #IFeelBetterWhen song for ‘The UoL Yellow Book’. Yet again, the poetry entries were all fantastic and it has been great to develop Mahmud’s poem ‘Breathe’ into the lyrics for this song. Our thanks to our mentor, Mark Morriss of The Bluetones, who kindly recorded backing vocals on the track and for inviting us to support The Bluetones on legs of their O2 and Anniversary tours.

Finally, acknowledgement to Claire Evans for collaborating with us to create #MindfulMeds: mini mindful practices with music, free access here, also featured on page 31 of this Book.”

Refuge www.musicfromrefuge.co.uk

The Health Matters Team College of Life Sciences
University of Leicester

“We are so pleased to have had the opportunity to bring the Yellow Book to the University of Leicester. We thought it would be a fantastic way to bring the University community together to create art and use this tool as a means to positively express wellbeing. The responses to running this project were fantastic from staff and students at the University and we are delighted with the quality and range of pieces that were submitted. We hope this will continue to have a positive effect and encourage people to try something new that has a positive effect on their wellbeing.

It has been a fantastic tool to bring people together and start conversations about how people can empower themselves to proactively support their own mental health and wellbeing. The UoL Yellow Book will support our staff, students and our community to embrace the ethos of the book and celebrate the power of positive creative expression.”

Dr Marie Nugent, Dr Karolin Kroese & Julian Harrison
Health Matters Team University of Leicester

The UoL Yellow Book Assessors

“I thoroughly enjoyed being an assessor for Rethink Your Mind’s Leicester University Book. The work submitted was excitingly diverse and I found the use of materials and interpretations of the theme creative and thought provoking. It is a testament to the quality of submissions that it was extremely hard to make a final selection for the book. I hope others enjoy these images as much as we did.”
Gillian McFarland
Visual Art Assessor
_____________

“I hope looking at the artworks inspires others to dedicate time for themselves to reflect on the present and feel confident enough to explore their mental health. I have to admit that picking the best art pieces was not easy but it was a lot of fun to view different ways in which people express themselves”
Timilehin Songonuga
Visual Art Assessor
_____________

“An impressive variety of poetry to read through – sometimes funny, sometimes thoughtful, sometimes quite sad. Above all, these poems are a reminder that whatever happens to us in life, we never have to be alone.”
Rob Gee
Poetry Assessor
_____________

“It’s been great to dive into another heartfelt and inspiring collection of poetry about the things that help us feel better. I enjoyed reading all of the submissions and hope our selections reflect the wealth of creativity, experience and awareness of mental health and wellbeing in Leicester.”
Mellow Baku
Poetry Assessor
_____________

“The Yellow Book provides inspiring work that is curated through this selection process. It was a privilege to be part of the team for the photographs. There were amazing photographs that we had to go through. My process was to look at the pictures and see what feeling I get from them. It was important to see what the subject matter was and what the person who took the picture had said about it.”
Bipin Anand
Photography Assessor
_____________

“As a seasoned curator and artist you would have thought that by now I should be used to the wonderful range of creativity presented to me, but it came as pleasant surprise when I began the shortlisting process for the Yellow Book and saw the full range of works submitted. The Yellow Book has inspired many people and continues to provide a valuable outlet for creativity and a positive approach to mental health”
Jeremy Webster
Photography Assessor

Thanks to all the assessors involved 

Visual Art
Michaela Butter, Gillian McFarland, G Sian, Timilehin Songonuga

Poetry
Mellow Baku, Rob Gee, Jonathon Taylor, Lydia Towsey

Photography
Bipin Anand, Dani Bower, Josie Par, Jeremy Webster