Beyond the Senses: How Multisensory Art is Boosting Wellbeing in Townsville

Dr Lydia C Saiz
Aug 27
3 min read

Updated: Aug 28

In mid-2025, Arbibo launched Beyond the Senses, a series of free multisensory art workshops funded through the Regional Arts Development Fund (RADF).

The vision was clear: to create a safe and inspiring space where anyone - regardless of age, background, or artistic experience - could relax, explore their creativity, and reconnect with themselves.

What unfolded was more than just art-making. It was a powerful demonstration of how creativity, when combined with sensory engagement and community, can significantly improve wellbeing.

A Program Designed for the Whole Self

Unlike traditional art classes, Beyond the Senses was carefully designed to engage all five senses.

Workshop 1: Fluid Art for Self-Expression focused on colour, movement, and emotional flow.
Workshop 2: Textured Art & Sensory Engagement added touch and smell through natural textures, modelling paste, lavender, and cinnamon.

Each session began with guided mindfulness, inviting participants to slow down and be present. The process - not the product - was the priority. There was no right or wrong, only exploration.

Who Took Part

Twenty community members took part, ranging from youth to seniors. Most were women, but the group also included CALD participants, people with disabilities, and neurodivergent individuals.

Many came in with little or no art experience. Some admitted they had not picked up a brush since school. Others said they often felt that art “wasn’t for people like me.”

By the end of the workshops, these perceptions had shifted dramatically.

Measurable Impact on Wellbeing

Participants completed surveys before and after the workshops, adapted from validated frameworks like the Warwick–Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale (WEMWBS) and Creative Self-Efficacy measures.

The findings were clear and significant:

Overall wellbeing scores rose by nearly 20%.
Feelings of being relaxed and calm increased sharply.
Creative confidence improved by more than a full point on a 5-point scale.
Participants felt more able to express emotions through art.
There was a significant rise in belonging in creative spaces—people who once doubted themselves began to identify as part of an artistic community.

One participant captured this perfectly: “Loved how it all joins together making a masterpiece that I created.”

Another wrote: “I liked playing with the colours and seeing them mix. It made me happy.”

More Than Numbers: Stories of Change

The numbers tell one part of the story. The words of participants tell another.

“It was so cool seeing the canvas change and take shape. It brought me joy to create.”
“Never wrong with art :-)”
“I feel like a new person – I didn’t know I had this creative side and it feels really good.”

These statements echo what international research has long shown: that art-making can reduce stress, foster emotional release, and build self-esteem (Kaimal et al., 2016; Stuckey & Nobel, 2010).

In Beyond the Senses, participants discovered not just techniques, but parts of themselves they didn’t know existed.

Photos of Lydia C Saiz and Margie O'Hara from Workshop 1 and Workshop 2, who teamed up to deliver the Beyond the Senses program.

Why This Matters

Programs like Beyond the Senses are more than cultural events—they are vital wellbeing interventions.

For those experiencing stress and burnout, they provide calm and mindfulness.
For those who feel disconnected, they build community and belonging.
For those who doubt themselves, they nurture confidence and self-expression.

And importantly, they are accessible. No diagnosis required. No art background needed. Just an open invitation to step in, breathe out stress, and breathe in creativity.

As one participant summed it up: “I feel proud of what I created. I didn’t think I could do this.”

Looking Ahead

The success of Beyond the Senses points to a bigger opportunity. Community-based creative wellness programs could be embedded more widely - in schools, workplaces, and health services - as preventative tools for mental health and resilience.

They are low-cost, inclusive, and adaptable, yet their impact is profound.

If you’d like to dive deeper into the full research, complete with detailed results, analysis, and references, you can read the full report here:

If you’re interested in having us run a wellness art program at your organisation, please get in touch.

These workshops were free to community thanks to funding from the Regional Arts Development Fund – a partnership between the Queensland Government and Townsville City Council.