What do we mean by Creative Health?

It was designed for anyone working in the area of public health, in arts or heritage, and those involved with social prescribing. Almost 70 people joined, for a fascinating and thought provoking session chaired by Jill Cole (she/her), Director of Northern Heartlands and Board Member of the North East Culture Partnership.

Michael Cunliffe (he/him), Creative Health Strategic Manager, Northumberland County Council & North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board, gave insights and training around the framework he is developing for evaluating the impact on well-being of participation and engagement with cultural activity. Here’s Michael speaking at a LUNCH & LEARN session held by Boost.org.uk an online community hub hosted by the NHS North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board.

Michael was followed by Rebecca Sullivan (Becky) (she/they), who told her story as a quirky individual passionate about supporting disabled people, and those with mental health issues access creativity to enhance their overall wellbeing. Being disabled herself and having gone through severe mental ill-health for over 15 years, Becky knows first-hand how important creativity is to wellbeing. She is excited about the possibilities opening to her and is determined make a difference to those in her local community. Becky was prescribed participation in a project run by Northern Heartlands which now operates independently as Bishop Busy Hands. Becky has become one of its co-directors. Becky has also been selected as a Durham Creative Community Fellow, a project that is part of County Durham’s Into the Light  programme.

Hollie Smith Charles, Director of Creative Health, Arts Council England & Chris Batstone, Senior Relationship Manager, Strategic Partnerships, Arts Council England presented Arts Council England’s perspective on Creative Health and Wellbeing, and its work to promote collaboration between organisations and practitioners in the creative and health sectors. A particular piece of Arts Council England’s work highlighted during their presentation was Youth Mental Health & Creativity | Arts Council England

Chris Batstone offered a provocation towards the end of the Arts Council England presentation.

“How can we ensure that the North East is stepping up to promote strategically embedded work which is influencing the combined authority, clinicians, local authorities and others in the region?”