Inter-Arts Festival 'Art Through Trauma' is happening on Monday 13th August until Sunday 19th August, showcasing work from Artists, David Rusbatch, Victoria Shone, Bethany Weaves Art, Elaine Hook, Installations by Fiona Love and Skye Shadowlight, plus a word gallery and performances from Microphone Jack, Ursula Holden-Gill, Socs Blakely, Keiron Higgins, Eileen Wright plus many more.

The Inter-Arts festival has been brought together by Fiona Pattison who teaches her Inter-Arts class every first Wednesday of the month at Artsmill, Linden Road, Hebden Bridge.

Most of the work submitted link back to trauma, so this was the reason we decided to create the festival around this subject matter.

Our festival content is not suitable for children or anyone under 18. In the festival, the subject matter includes areas within Mental Health, Sexual Assault and Abuse, Domestic Violence, Grief, Loss, Brain Injury, PTSD, Depression, Anxiety and Schizophrenia. There will be talks, exhibitions, installations and performances throughout the week.

Over the week long festival there will be, stunning and captivating art work from award winning artist, David Rusbatch.The artist was one of the youngest ever exhibitors at the National Design Museum, and his work for at the Venice Bienniale in 2009 led to critical and commercial acclaim. His images were shown alongside Julian Opie and Gerald Laing, in aid of Feminism in London at the Aubin Gallery, London.

The work garnered large public exposure after being published in The Guardian newspaper, resulting in controversy and physical threats. He's exhibited with Sir Peter Blake, Tracey Emin, Damien Hirst, David Hockney, Banksy, Julian Opie and Eduardo Paolozzi.

Empowering, imaginative and colourful work from Victoria Shone, spiritual storytelling from Bethany Weaves Art, explores healing trauma through story through various mediums. Her work is inspired by both personal experience and research.

Textile Designer, Elaine Hook has created work with a strong message behind it, about domestic abuse and she is passionate about raising awareness and helping others.

Art Installations from Visual Storyteller Fiona Love uses different mediums to convey a message. Fiona Love's 'Girl in a Box' explores the effects of trauma and how memory can replay in the mind, leading to sleepless nights, negative thoughts and empty dreams. 'Behind Closed Doors' is an empowering piece that provides hope to any sufferer of PTSD and shares some valuable insights into transformation.

Fiona Love says, "We are all survivors of life in some way or other, although not everyone who comes through the other side and is able to verbalise their story or wants to. This often leads to depression, isolation and loneliness.

"Transformation, empowerment and a new way of seeing can give people who are suffering a new focus that can help towards a happier healthier future. No-one can take away the suffering or the pain, but we can help to heal within ourselves so our stories aren't re-played everyday."

Skye Shadowlight talks about her art installation featured at the festival, "Beer is the Gun: Reframe: The Intentional Degradation of a Memory" (12:36) is a film that I created for my degree show piece in 2017. In this film I decided that I would try to degrade and also reframe a traumatic memory from my childhood."

Poetry and prose is featured in The David Wright Gallery wall and spoken out Loud at the 'Open Mic Night, with beautiful and poignant words from Socs Blakely. Straight to the point and eloquently written and performed words from Keiron Higgins. Insightful and full of character, Ursula Holden-Gill tells her stories through music and words. Powerful prose from Eileen Wright and political as always.

'The man of chaos' himself, is let loose on the gallery walls at the Inter-Arts Open Mic on Friday. What will be revealed is anyone's guess. Microphone Jack's work is political, raw, and spoken with a cheeky grin.

David Nixon, who recently suffered a brain injury will be sharing his experiences with you, with an extract from 'Black Dog and the Fear Monkey' on Thursday evening.

Inter-Arts Open Mic on Friday evening with special guests including Ursula Holden-Gill, Socs Blakely, Microphone Jack, Fiona Love, Keiron Higgins, Bethany Weaves, Skye Shadowlight, A J Creedy, John Armstrong, plus many more. All are Welcome to put their name down to perform. Please get there from 7.30pm. Starts at 8pm. Light refreshments are available. BYOB.

On Saturday 18th August, we have 'Listen with Mother', a performance by Leslie Davidoff produced by The Factoryline. Doors open at 7.30pm.

Also on Saturday 18th August (at 2pm onwards), there is a talk from Anthea Sully – Chief Executive, White Ribbon UK (Talk and 'Q n A') Anthea Sully became Chief Executive of White Ribbon UK, the national campaign that engages with men and boys to end male violence against women, in March 2018. Having begun her career in the performing arts, Anthea has led high profile human rights campaigns for a number of charities and voluntary organisations. Anthea was formerly a Peterborough City Councillor, chairing the community services committee and leading the Labour Group for part of that time. She is currently a trustee of the Association for Real Change and has previously been a trustee of Peterborough Women's Centre and Action for Children. She will be leading a talk about the White Ribbon Charity and there will be an opportunity for you to ask questions at the end.

Talk with Skye Shadowlight on Sunday 19th August, 2pm - 3pm, entitled 'Using Art to Reframe Trauma'. Skye Shadowlight will discuss how she managed to work through serious childhood trauma through art, performance, installation and film. Skye will share how she was finally able to begin to control the way she viewed past trauma. She will take you on a journey and invite you into her work and thoughts about Trauma, Anxiety, PTSD and Art. This will not be suitable for those under 18. Please come and share in the discussion or just listen if that's all you would like to do.

All events are at Artsmill, Linden Road, Hebden Bridge.

Inter-Arts Festival - 'Art Through Trauma' 
Preview - Sunday 12th August. 2pm - 4pm
Exhibition runs till the Sunday 19th August. 10am - 4pm
Evening Performances (Thursday, Friday and Saturday) 7.30pm Doors open. 
Programme details: interartsfestival.com