What’s happening in Create Health…

Pippa Jones - Summer 2020

Back in July, I attended the Culture, Health and Wellbeing Alliance Meeting with 30 people from across the UK. Each of the organisations attending provided an update on their current projects from AHSW’s Art’s and Health mapping to social prescribing and the latest research into loneliness and social isolation. This blog provides a snapshot of the event with links to further reading and networks if you’d like to find out more about any of the organisations or projects discussed.

Firstly, AHSW Director Victoria Hume provided an update on the work of the alliance during Covid 19. They had recently carried out a mapping exercise of arts and health work offered to individuals being shielded at home or in the community. Case studies from 45 organisations were submitted and these will be shared with APPG. The main outcome that the arts and health activity was focused on was addressing loneliness and social isolation. There was an estimated reach of 100,000 people which is astonishing. You can read more here.

Next, we heard from The Social Prescribing Network which is holding an international conference March 2021 and would like people to get in touch if they would like to share arts and cultural ideas for this event.

We shared a project that Create Gloucestershire has been delighted to support Look Again to deliver a projected funded by BUPA and this work has been written up as a case study which you can read here.

A new National Centre for Creative Health being set up–its role is to advance good practice and promote collaboration across sectors with a systems focus. This was a key recommendation of the report Creative Health: the arts for health and wellbeing which summarises arts and health activity across the United Kingdom gathered through a two-year inquiry by the All Party Parliamentary Group on Arts, Health and Wellbeing (APPGAHW).

Safe return of arts activities post Lockdown

There was a long discussion about why gyms were allowed to open again but not brass bands? And also why DCMS has allowed the performing arts to return but not those activities delivered in the amateur or voluntary sector. This has very significant impact for the sector and you can read about Voluntary Arts response here.

Next up was Alex Coulter from APPG Arts Health and Wellbeing who provided an update to the group which is reforming post election. Ben Spencer MP for Runnymeade and Weybridge is standing as new Chair. The APPG held a Round Table Webinar to explore how arts and culture can support people who are shielding or vulnerable. I was delighted to hear that Ellen Rule, Head of Transformation at the NHS Glos Clinical Commissioning Group will be contributing to this. The attached report – How creativity and culture is supporting shielding and vulnerable people at home during Covid-19 – is based on case studies of almost 50 projects in England and Wales, all of whom have created new programmes or adapted existing work to reach people who are shielding or vulnerable in their homes. You can hear more about the report and this work in this recording of the 16 July webinar for the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Arts, Health & Wellbeing.

Arts and health Research focusing on isolation and loneliness

Prof Helen Chatterjee Professor of Biology, Genetics, Evolution & Environment Div of Biosciences updated the meeting group on a 14 months deep dive with AHRC (Arts & Humanities Research Council) into available resources regarding impact of arts and health focusing on isolation and loneliness. VAN are helping with research side to collect feedback into how participants are engaging with arts and health. If you are interested in these areas you can connect with AHRC via their website here. And also with UCL through their Loneliness and Social Isolation in Mental Health Network .

Through listening and particppating in the discussion it was apparent that we have some major challenges ahead. On the flipside the current situation has had some hugely positive effects on the sector – not least the sharp focus on health and wellbeing that we have struggled to attract before. Here are some of the challenges and opportunities right now:

Major challenges for the sector moving forward are:

Fear seems to be going up not down across communities- partly to do with a lack of coherence about guidance and regulations.
Some artists are losing work- some are getting funding to do more.
Constant turmoil and flux.
Anxiety about funding and how we can work more collaboratively.
Sense that it is hard to gather everything that is going on.
As a sector we work across arts and education as well as arts and health.
Flexible furlough scheme has helped to bring capacity into organisations.
Digital deficit for some people and communities becoming a big issue.
Regression to a narrative about old people being vulnerable and to be protected.

Successes/opportunities :

Opening up of access digitally to some has created new ways of working that will be carried forward.
New skills and competencies for artists working digitally.
Significant changes in schedules has allowed innovative ideas to emerge.
Health and wellbeing is talked about more.
Freelancers have done the quiet work going on during Covid- how can we shine light on this.
Innovation around blended activity to reach participants for whom travel is a major issue.
People bringing their whole selves to the conversation- more willing to listen and think creatively in an accelerated way. People have tried very hard to make things happen rapidly. Cut through inertia and hierarchy.
Re-design- how can we get intelligence into our world about the re-design of public service.
Lots of learning going on and skilling up to cope with change but also trying to look forward and how can we be ready.