Creative Health Project Update 2

How things started-

Ambassadors began by mapping the existing creative offers in their PCN areas, meeting with health professionals, social prescribers, and community link workers to better understand how communities were accessing creative activities, valuable information was gathered at this stage and some great connections made.

What happened next-

Following the mapping Arts Well used a portion of the COMF funding to support a diverse range of Creative projects and organisastions that were identified in the first part of the project, some of these have been working in the field of Arts for Health and Wellbeing for many years and some were pilot projects delivered by new practitioners. The funding meant that all the sessions could take place free of charge and reach the people who have been hardest hit by the Covid 19 pandemic, Participants were able to take part in all kinds of creative exploration including dance, painting, film making, sketching walks, creative writing, DJ’ing, glasswork, sewing and combined yoga with painting! A full report and evaluation of this work will be drawn up at the end of June.

Additional strands of the project-

A campaign was also devised to promote the message ‘Creativity, It’s Good for You’ With a digital leaflet click here created as an introduction to the benefits of the Arts on our health and wellbeing, including excerpts from key reports and facts and statistics to support the message. In addition to the e-leaflet a directory has been compiled using the information gathered by the ambassadors, collated into an easy-to-use Cornwall wide directory of creative opportunities, this resides in the ‘Resources’ section of Arts Well’s website click here and will be updated monthly. Arts Well is also promoting the campaign through its social media platforms.

Creating a buzz-

A launch event was held in April to get the campaign off to a flying start, held at The Newquay Orchard (a 7-acre community space) guests were able to discover more about the project and campaign, with talks and activities that included a screening of an interview between Arts Well’s Jayne Howard and Lord Howarth recorded especially for the launch and highlighting the importance of the Arts in our lives and the proven benefits on our health and wellbeing. Emma Seward-Adams Lead Social prescriber for the area also spoke at the event, welcoming the new directory as a fantastic new resource that she was already using for referrals in her area. The e-leaflet and printed leaflets have begun circulating around Cornwall, GP surgeries and community Hubs have been invited to put the digital leaflet on their websites with the printed leaflets available for local events and for use in settings where they will be of interest. please get in touch with Arts Well if you would like some printed leaflets to give out.