PA MediaAn interactive art installation at London’s Battersea Power Station has been created by women throwing paint-filled balloons at a giant canvas.
Female passers-by were encouraged to write negative feelings about themselves on the balloons before hurling them.
Once the canvas was covered in paint a message was revealed, saying “burst your self-doubt”.
The project is part of a campaign by the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) to highlight self-esteem related issues faced by women.
A study carried out by BACP suggested almost half of women struggle with, or are affected by, self-esteem issues that impact their day-to-day choices.
Body image is the leading source of such problems, followed by social comparisons, career, and romantic relationships.
BACPOne woman involved in the project, Nyeela, said she went to a school in Hampstead, north-west London, where she was one of the few ethnically diverse people and the “darkest-skinned student”.
She said she “warped the story in my mind to being black and being wrong and my self-esteem took a huge dip, I got depression and anxiety”.
She said her mental health was seriously affected and she struggled until seeking therapy.
The final interactive art piece will be a visual representation of concerns experienced by participants, BACP said, as the paint filled balloons are colour coded by each related issue.
