f The ‘BIG Anxiety Project’: Using the arts to visually explore public experiences and attitudes to anxiety

Anxiety affects everyone, in some intensity, at some time. We report on the ‘BIG Anxiety Project’, a citizen science arts project to explore the public’s experiences and responses to anxiety, which has established a collaboration between visual artists and mental health researchers. A variety of sources of data were used for analysis: visualization and public discussion as part of the project, including from social media, surveys and live polling. Common responses were observed across the data sets, including bodily and physiological responses to anxiety, as well as differences, for example statements of severity versus symbolic expression. Such citizen science arts projects offer the opportunity to engage the public in scientific data collection as well as shaping the research agenda and forming specific research questions.