Dr Parkinson was the first person to clinically describe the condition we know today as Parkinson’s.

As part of activities to mark World Parkinson’s Day on Thursday 11 April 2003, the Hon. Kevin Rudd MP attended a ‘birthday party’ for Dr Parkinson, who passed away almost 200 years ago.

The event took place as part of A Walk through our Art, an exciting and unique exhibition of art works by participants of Painting with Parkinson’s Groups across Australia.

Event organiser and Victorian Painting with Parkinson’s founder Anne Atkin spoke with Mr Rudd while he wandered around the paintings and said he seemed “very taken” by the artwork.

“He was terrific, he was really interested in the paintings and what we do in the program since his mother had Parkinson’s too,” Anne said.
Mr Rudd helped blow out the candles on a cake celebrating the birthday of Dr. James Parkinson.

Anne swears that Parkinson’s can bring out one’s inner creativity

“It’s the colours… people with Parkinson’s develop an amazing sense of colour. It’s as if the movement part of the brain slows down and the creative part takes off,” said Anne.

Anne has lived with Parkinson’s for nine years. She is also an accomplished artist and author. Art is increasingly recognised as a means to helping people make the most of living with Parkinson’s. Participants of Painting with Parkinson’s groups across Australia attest to the activity’s value in reducing the severity of symptoms, improving self-esteem and overcoming loneliness and isolation.

A study done on members of Painting With Parkinson’s groups by Dr. Simon Knowles from Swinburne University in 2007 discovered that “the significant finding of the present study indicated that the painting with Parkinson’s workshop sessions are effective in increasing participants’ levels of optimism.

Each year, World Parkinson’s Day is an opportunity to highlight the challenges of living with Parkinson’s as well as the medical research that is taking place to make living with Parkinson’s easier and more manageable.