Health and wellbeing

A series of online roundtable discussions will be held over the coming year as part of a new Creative Health Review designed to highlight the potential for creative health to tackle pressing issues in health and social care.

The National Centre for Creative Health and the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Arts, Health and Wellbeing, which are holding the review jointly, hope the findings will aid policymakers in addressing problems including health inequalities and the additional challenges posed by the recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic.

The roundtables, which will be open to a public audience, will present “evidence and examples of the powerful influence creative health can have on our health and wellbeing, and how it can be used across key policy areas”.

The information shared will be compiled by 16 commissioners tasked with developing a set of recommendations designed to guide policymakers in informing and encouraging the development of a cross-governmental strategy on creative health.

Themes earmarked for exploration during the series of roundtables include mental health and wellbeing across the life course, health inequalities, social care, end-of-life care, education and training, cost-effectiveness, evidencing value for money and funding models, and leadership and strategy.
 

Wales’ arts community has made an online resource to support NHS and care home staff this winter.

Cultural Cwtsh features short, accessible videos from 50 professional artists across Wales showcasing a range of cultural activities including poetry, juggling, beatboxing, dancing and photography.

The website was created by Arts Council of Wales (ACW) with funding support from the Welsh Government as part of an ongoing programme of partnership works highlighting the proven well-being benefits of the arts.

ACW Programme Manager for Arts, Health and Wellbeing Sally Lewis said she hopes people working in healthcare will enjoy discovering their own creativity through the resource.

“The Cultural Cwtsh is a direct response to the significant challenges and pressures healthcare staff continue to face. 

“[It] aims to use creativity to boost staff wellbeing by providing comfort, fun, distraction, solace, relaxation, stimulation, an outlet for expression as well as opportunities for people to learn a new skill.”

Creative professionals with a positive emotional state are more likely to experience day-to-day feelings of creativity, according to research from Goldsmiths, University of London.

The study looked at a sample of 290 creative professionals who engage in at least 20 hours of creative activities per week. Over a two-week period, participants provided daily responses on their creative behaviours and emotions.

Results found those participating were increasingly creative in both their work and everyday lives when they felt a strong sense of wellbeing and positive emotions.

Researcher Kaile Smith said the motiviation for the research “stemmed from this belief that seems to permeate our culture that creative people are inherently troubled.”

“Our research finds that creative individuals have a highly adaptive psychological profile: the most creative individuals are more open, more conscientious, and have higher emotional stability as well as greater overall wellbeing.”

Study Lead Professor Joydeep Bhattacharya added that while the results suggest a strong correlation between creative behaviour and mental wellbeing, further research is needed to prove whether positive emotions ultimately lead to more creativity. 

“However, it is also possible that wellbeing and creativity are mutually reinforcing,” he said. 

Arts organisations in Wales working on projects that deliver health and wellbeing benefits are invited to apply for grants of between £500 and £50,000.

The Arts Council of Wales’ Arts, Health and Wellbeing National Lottery funding programme supports high-quality creative projects focused on mental health, health inequalities, physical health and wellbeing and staff wellbeing.

The latest round of funding is open to partnership applications from arts organisations working with health organisations to deliver joint projects. 

Applications should represent a consortium of organisations and artists, one of which will act as the primary applicant and accountable body, the organisation has said.

The deadline to apply is 5 October.
 

Specialist consultants have been lined up to help develop a five-year cultural strategy for a new unitary council being established in Somerset next year.

Somerset’s five councils – Mendip, Sedgemoor, Somerset West and Taunton, South Somerset district councils, and Somerset County Council – have worked in partnership with Arts Council England to recruit cultural consultants, The Fifth Sector.

Since its foundation in 2011, The Fifth Sector has delivered more than 100 strategic and cultural projects, including cultural strategies and creative investment frameworks for Derby, Liverpool, Manchester, Rushmoor, South Yorkshire and Tees Valley.

Key aims and objectives of the strategy include ensuring that a cultural identity for arts and culture in Somerset is at the heart of the new authority’s strategic plans.

It is also intended that the piece of work will raise awareness and promote the role that culture and creativity can play in enriching communities and improving the quality of life, health, wellbeing and the local economy for Somerset residents.

Federica Smith Roberts, Somerset County Council’s Lead Member for Communities, said: “The Somerset Cultural Strategy will define how, as an organisation, the new Somerset Council will deliver cultural activities to better the lives of residents and enhance our communities.

“I am delighted that work will commence through The Fifth Sector now to create a strategy ready for adoption when the new Council comes into effect in April 2023. 

"Arts and culture are important to help improve the quality of life, health, wellbeing and the local economy for Somerset residents, local businesses and visitors and I look forward to bringing the strategy in front of fellow councillors in 2023.”