The Art Place presents: Calm within Chaos - Films by Vignesh Vyas

The Art Place presents: Calm within Chaos (Exhibition)

Join us for Calm Within Chaos, a week long immersive exhibition celebrating the creative work of Vignesh Vyas, an award-winning filmmaker and occupational therapist. This event brings together a curated selection of his films - including short films, music videos, and documentaries - alongside a gallery of his striking photographic work (previously featured at various exhibitions).

Through this showcase, you'll explore how Vignesh weaves therapeutic insight with cinematic storytelling, offering moments of reflection, vulnerability, and resilience.

What to Expect

Film Screenings:

• A selection of Vignesh's short films, including critically acclaimed works like Swaraj, which screened at prestigious film festivals including Raindance (London) and the Human Rights Film Festival (Barcelona).
• Thought-provoking shorts such as Njanum (Me Too...), which has garnered awards at the Paris and Milan Film Festival and The Long Walk which won the Audience Choice Award at the Soho London Independent Film Festival.
• Music videos such as Compassion & The Remains, that reflect Vignesh's cinematic style, merging emotion, rhythm, and visual storytelling.
• Documentary pieces that highlight social, mental-health, and human-interest themes.

Photography Exhibition:

• A curated screening of Vignesh's street photographs. Images that echo the themes of his films - identity, healing, memory, and connection.

Q&A and Discussion:

Throughout the week, there will be opportunities to have conversation with Vignesh Vyas: about his creative process, how his background as an occupational therapist informs his filmmaking, and the intersection of art and healing. A chance for attendees to ask questions, reflect on the themes presented, and engage in dialogue.

Why Attend

• Unique Perspective: Vignesh is not just a filmmaker - he is a qualified occupational therapist, with an MSc in Occupational Therapy and an MA in Film Production, bringing a deeply human and therapeutic lens to his storytelling.
• Award-Winning Work: His films have achieved international recognition - from screenings in London to Barcelona, Milan and Paris - reflecting a compelling voice in both artistic and socially engaged cinema.
• Cinematic & Healing Fusion: The event uniquely combines therapeutic filmmaking (a practice Vignesh researches and uses in his professional work) with artistic exhibition.
• Community & Connection: Whether you are a film enthusiast, a mental health professional, an artist, or simply curious, this event offers space for meaningful connection and reflection.

About Vignesh Vyas

Vignesh Vyas is a multi-faceted creative: an occupational therapist specialising in mental health, and a therapeutic filmmaker who uses film as both art and intervention.

He has been recognised with awards such as the Highly Commendable Project at the HSJ Patient Safety Awards (2022) and was named Behind the Scenes Champion at the InsideOut Awards (2024) for his work using filmmaking to improve mental health in care settings.

His speciality lies in Therapeutic Filmmaking - a method he has developed that blends occupational therapy with filmmaking. He presents research globally and publishes on post-traumatic growth through therapeutic filmmaking.

His creative inspirations include filmmakers like Abbas Kiarostami, Terrence Malick and Ingmar Bergman, as well as Jungian psychology.

More than an exhibition:

Art Place Photo Studio is proud to announce the launch of our inaugural Contemporary Art Solo Show Series, a new exhibition program dedicated to highlighting singular voices in the modern art landscape.
This series is curated to provide a platform for deep-dive storytelling. Each selected artist will be given control of the studio space for one full week, allowing them to create an immersive environment that fully articulates their artistic vision. For more information on the series or to present your work for future editions, please contact: Aytac Uzmen  photostudio@ideashubchelmsford.org

To kick off this journey, we are honored to present our very first solo artist: Vignesh Vyas.

Calm Within Chaos is more than an exhibition - it's part of Vignesh's broader mission to use therapeutic filmmaking as a tool for healing, reflection, and social change. In his clinical and creative work, he believes that storytelling can help individuals visualise their goals, understand their journeys, and connect with others in meaningful ways.

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The event is helped by one or more of our volunteers so please always be kind, and respectful as they are giving their time. Be understanding that this is also part of their journey for their own mental health and well-being.

Suitable for all ages. But if under 14 years old a parent or guardian must stay with them during the event.

Address: The Art Place is located in Meadows Shopping Centre, Chelmsford CM2 6FD.

Safety and inclusivity

If you have any accessibility requirements, please let us know in advance, and we will do our best to accommodate you.

The Art Place is a Creative Community Safe Space and a project of Ideas Hub (reg. charity). We appreciate your support in helping us continue to provide services like this to the community.

Check out all our workshops at https://linktr.ee/the_art_place.

Thank you for supporting our charity!