Art is uniquely positioned to move people, but most importantly it is supposed to be shared

Creativity is unwaveringly connected to our human experience making art part of our everyday living, even if we do not realise. Because of this art is so uniquely positioned to move people. Everything within the material aspects of our world has been created by someone for something, from the buildings we live in, the mugs we see each other use during zoom lectures to the Instagram infographics we scroll through.

Expressions of creativity and the production of art have so much power in society. From a social justice point of view they can provoke thought, empower communities, educate people and open discussions. But, from a personal point of view, the process and production of art provides enjoyment, or even an escape.

I have started to view our collective lockdown experience as on the same train but perhaps with different destinations. Despite the shared situation of the pandemic, we will all have different experiences and reactions to it. The lockdowns have been long, at times I know I have grown weary, but everyone has had to find a way to navigate through the mental minefield of this past year. I have seen more and more people, myself included, developing creative strategies to help cope.

Studies have shown that people who regularly engage in forms of creative expression have higher levels of subjective wellbeing and sharing this can increase collective confidence and connection. This makes sense to me, the evolution of the human brain was built on social relationships and maybe the power of art stimulates vital parts of the continuous evolution of society. However, only when it is a shared experience.

So, QC is a way for us to share our experiences through creativity. For staff and students alike this academic year has been a world away from what we expected, and probably hoped for. It’s been frustrating, unpredictable and complicated. Making personal connections and building a sense of community seems like a never-ending hurdle race, hopefully QC will make those hurdles smaller. Lockdown seems to have reignited a creative flame in society and the value of art is probably being appreciated more than ever, I hope this is the new normal. Even more so, it has definitely shown me that creativity is not exclusive and is much better when it is shared!

Stephen Sondheim once said “art, in itself, is an attempt to bring order out of chaos”. The pandemic has certainly provided chaos, and I don’t know how order will be restored, or if order as we knew it should even be restored. However, we hope that QC can bring some moments of order, enjoyment and help us to connect with people riding the same train.

On behalf of the QC Team we really hope you enjoy this platform,

Parveen