We’re supporting the inspirational Mind Your Head campaign with its construction-based art exhibition being staged as part of UK Construction Week, which opens today (8 October) at the NEC.
Mind Your Head is a national campaign designed to promote mental wellbeing to men in particular who are working in the construction industry. When you consider that poor mental health is now the biggest killer in the construction industry and that of the 1419 suicides which have taken place in construction over the past 5 years, 1409 were men, then there’s no doubt about the urgency which surrounds it.
At UK Construction Week, the Mind Your Head team have put together what they are calling a ‘Material Support’ gallery which includes mental health themed art installations created using construction products. If that all sounds hard to imagine, then picture a steel lintel with the words ‘we’ll support you’ etched onto it or a sound booth constructed using acoustic panels where visitors can sit and listen to useful advice.
AluK’s contribution is two glazed aluminium frames – one displaying a crisp, shiny cut of aluminium and the other a battered, crumpled piece – illustrating, we hope, the disconnect between how men often present themselves and how others might see them and how they might actually feel inside. A big thank you to Central ASL for providing us with the frames on a very quick turnaround.
We think Material Support is an original and thought provoking contribution to the whole debate around men’s mental health which aims to be straight-talking, no-nonsense and accessible. Alongside the exhibition, visitors can learn more about the impact of mental health in our industry from prominent guest speakers and receive practical advice from an on-site therapist.
The Material Support gallery is on Stand F700 at UK Construction Week – we’re very proud to be involved and think it will definitely be worth a visit.
