Can Art help in the loneliness epidemic?

Loneliness is on the rise in Australia, I imagine we are not alone, and it is happening globally.   It is not fussy about your age or gender
According to the APS (Australian Psychological Society) one in four Australians feel lonely.  During the 2020 and beyond lockdowns, this number may have been significantly higher.  There is a plethora of information and statistics on the internet regarding loneliness and it’s mental, physical and health factors.  The facts are frightening.
I know when I moved to Melbourne coming up now 27 years ago, I didn’t know anyone.  There wasn’t any family here, initially there weren’t any work colleagues, it was me on my Pat Malone.   I found the loneliness extreme for the first three months.  It was a fight to keep mentally positive.   To meet new people, I attended courses such as photography and golf lessons.   Each of them got me out of the house and meeting new people.  It was an opportunity to break the isolation factor.
Recently, I was running one of my art classes and, it caused me to think back to my own efforts to fight loneliness.  I listened as the conversation hit a crescendo of multiple conversations, laughter and connection.
Could art classes help the loneliness epidemic?  Could those few hours each week, create deeper connections, could they foster a feeling of community and belonging?  I believe it can.  Those few hours of sitting in a room with likeminded individuals, deep in thought, or sharing titbits of daily life, recommendations of a movie or recipe, or a glimpse into family life, as you create, paint, and draw, transport you into another world.  Does a world of connection and creativity, enjoying a new hobby or interest, come from those regular art classes?
What re your thoughts?  Do you think art and art classes could help with the loneliness epidemic?  Please leave your comments below.

Featured Artwork:  Cityscape on the River

---