Open Door Berkhamsted appeals for artwork submissions that will put a smile on your face

A community arts space in Berkhamsted is appealing for artwork submissions for their new community exhibition.

Open Door is looking for art that will put a smile on your face for the exhibition, which starts in March.

The exhibition, entitled Laughter - it's the best medicine!, aims to bring joy and laughter to everyone in Berkhamsted and the surrounding area, despite the confusion and uncertainty we've been dealing with in recent months.

Anybody from the local community can submit work to be included, whatever their age, and whether they are a professional or amateur artist, or even someone who doesn’t consider themselves an artist at all!

Submissions can be in any media - it could be a painting, drawing or sculpture, but equally something knitted or sewn, a piece of jewellery, a short film, music, photography or writing, even a good joke – anything you think will bring a smile to people’s faces or make them giggle!

The exhibition is the final element of Open Door's National Lottery-funded public engagement project, which has been running over the last year.

The project aimed to bring the benefits of engaging with art to a wider audience, particularly those in the community who might not usually have the opportunity to access arts activities, or reap the wellbeing benefits they can provide.

Alongside the public Laughter! submissions, there will be a collection of work from the different strands of the project, including the beautiful hand-embroidered community artworks created at an event in Rectory Lane Cemetery in the summer.

Laughter has been scientifically proven to boost immunity as well as raise mood, so the organisers are hoping that this initiative will promote wellbeing and spread happiness across the local area this spring, to help the year off to a positive start!

The closing date for submissions is March 1, 2022 – for full details of how to submit visit: opendoorberkhamsted.co.uk/exhibitions.

Laughter - it’s the best medicine! runs from Monday, March 14, to Saturday, March 26, at Open Door Berkhamsted, 360 High Street, Berkhamsted.

Can you spare the cost of a cuppa? A small donation will help Open Door support vulnerable people in Berkhamsted.