Developing creative approaches in the health, care and community sectors can often be a challenging business. This can be made easier if we know
of other people doing similar work or if we can look to others for inspiration, ideas and guidance.
These pages aim to build a picture of activity in this region, which can be used to facilitate exchange of information, knowledge and ideas, rather than endorse any particular projects, approaches or organisations.
Building the picture relies on contributions from people in the region. If you are developing or running a project in the region and would like to share that information, please complete the
Project / research information submission form.
Projects are categorised under the four broad themes of the Critical Connections programme: Healthy communities, Children and young people, Workforce development and Healthy building and environments. If a project falls outside of these themes it will be categorised as Other. Copy is provided unedited by project delivers.
Roots and Wings
Roots and wings is an arts and emotional health programme based at Chickenley Community J, I & N School in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire. The project uses a variety of artforms such as painting sculpture, drama, writing and storytelling. Through the project the pupils learn to recognise and understand their own emotions, this helps the pupils take positive decisions about their own learning and provides them with lifelong skills to help them make ‘better’ choices in later life.
Mary Robson For more information contact: Lisa Jagger at randw.chickenley@kirklees-schools.org.uk
Forge Arts for Health
Forge Arts for Health is a Barnsley healthy living centre funded by Fit For The Future and managed by Forge Community Partnership. The project takes a positive approach to health by providing a broad range of arts-based activity to promote health, improve well-being and quality of life for people of all ages and abilities. The project mainly delivers activities in the Forge Community Partnership area of Barnsley but is also able to deliver pilot activities and special events with groups throughout Barnsley. There are plans for Barnsley wide arts for health project from 2009.
Forge Arts for Health For more information contact: 01226 745 300
The colour of melody
The colour of melody brings together visual art and music from India and works at reducing depression. Currently this project is being piloted with a group of women with post-natal depression. All women involved in the project are currently creating a mural using India as their inspiration.
Manasamitra For more information contact Supriya Nagarajan: info@manasamitra.com | www.manasamitra.com
The Handmade Parade
HEADS worked in partnership with Thingumajig Theatre to deliver the Hebden Bridge Handmade Parade. Older people from a local daycentre made beautiful decorated umbrellas that were proudly carried in the parade, alongside family members and participants of all ages. One older participant brought 4 generations of her family to parade with her! The project was so enjoyable for the older people who took part that this years parade workshops will be extended to include residents from local sheltered housing and their families, friends and carers.
HEADS For more information contact Jude Wadley: jude.wadley@heads.org.uk | www.heads.org.uk
Dance for Fitness
Dance for Life run regular classes in accordance with the B.E.E.P scheme in Bradford. The classes based around dance are an excellent way for adults to stay fit and healthy particularly those with health problems who have been advised to take up regular exercise. We run a wide selection of classes at different times weekly.
Dance for Life For more information contact Kate Williams: 01274 432 626 | kate.williams@bradford.gov.uk | www.danceforlife-bradford.org.uk
Drum Circle
We run a weekly drum circle with individuals referred by our local NE Lincolnshire mental health recovery team and the project is funded through Direct Payments. The aim of the workshops is to build individuals confidence and self esteem through regular creative activity.
Humbersound For more information contact: richard.nunn@ntlworld.com
Artlink West Yorkshire
Artlink is an innovative community arts organisation aiming to improve the lives of the most vulnerable members of the community through creative workshop programmes. We use the arts as a vehicle to independent living and recovery to enable participants to go on to achieve their personal potential and attain mental wellbeing. Our clients include long-term mental health service users, young people at risk, young learning disabled people, physically disabled adults and older people. A high proportion of our clients are mental health service users; many of them have multiple problems combining mental health, physical and learning disabilities. We are funded by arts@leeds, Arts Council England and Leeds City Council Adult Social Care.
Artlink West Yorkshire For more information contact Hayley Mason: 0113 243 1005 | info@artlinkwestyorks.org | www.artlinkwestyorks.org
The Big Weave
The Big Weave combines visual arts (crafts & video), music and dance to create a series of advanced groups for people with mental health needs who have attended open groups and are looking for a new challenge. Using stories, journeys and reflections drawn from participants the project will deliver a performance event in July.
HOOT For more information contact: info@hootmusic.co.uk | www.hootmusic.co.uk | www.myspace.com/hootsoundmove
Out of The Blue
This project is delivered in partnership with AIM (Artists in Mind) delivering a range of creative arts projects to enhance the health and wellbeing of people who experience, or are at risk of experiencing, mental health difficulties. The programme includes music, dance, visual arts, digital arts, creative writing, recording studio sessions and supported creative sanctuaries.
HOOT For more information contact: info@hootmusic.co.uk | www.hootmusic.co.uk | www.myspace.com/hootsoundmove
In The Raw This is a preventative project using the arts to promote positive mental health in one of the areas of Kirklees with a high incidence of health need. Based at Netherhall Learning campus in Rawthorpe the project has worked with music, photography, creative writing and visual arts to build a self-supporting group promoting health through creativity.
HOOT For more information contact: info@hootmusic.co.uk | www.hootmusic.co.uk | www.myspace.com/hootsoundmove
Key Change
Key Change offers creative groups and one-to-one sessions in music and music technology. It provides extra support through mentoring to help people with mental health needs make progress towards vocational training in creative and media studies, and to access creative activities in the community.
HOOT For more information contact: info@hootmusic.co.uk | www.hootmusic.co.uk | www.myspace.com/hootsoundmove
Breathing Space
This is a pilot project using the arts to engage with older people with mental health needs. The project will work with song-writing and recording, movement, and visual arts in two groups, one focused on people with dementia conditions and a second group with people with more general mental health problems.
HOOT For more information contact: info@hootmusic.co.uk | www.hootmusic.co.uk | www.myspace.com/hootsoundmove
Creative Therapies in Palliative Care in Kirklees
Visual creative therapies projects facilitated with adults with life limiting illnesses in a palliative day support and therapy unit in individual or group workshops since 2000 when the unit opened. Projects include textile art, watercolours, mosaics, sculpture, felt making, stained glass and collage. The feedback from the patients was that participating in a creative activity helped ease anxiety and pain as well as promoting well being, concentration and social inclusion.
Health Care Setting For more information contact Catherine Hill: catherinehill_965@hotmail.com
Service User Mentor Scheme (SUMS)
SUMS supports service users with acute and enduring mental health problems to develop artistically and socially, harnessing the power of creativity to benefit their health and well-being. SUMS changes lives: shifting self-perceptions from mentally ill “service user” to artist; increasing confidence, independence and self-worth; transforming relationships with themselves and society. SUMS provides: studio space & materials; mentoring; professional development support.
Artist In Mind For more information contact: info@artists-in-mind.org.uk www.artists-in-mind.org.uk
Mums the Word
Dead Earnest will be working with new mothers to devise a piece a drama dealing with the issue and challenges of post-natal depression. The devising process will be complimented by the development of an online portal for new mothers to share experiences and through which the piece, and reaction to it, will be broadcast and shared with parents across the globe.
Dead Earnest For more information contact: daniel@deadearnest.co.uk www.deadearnest.co.uk
ArtsPulse
ArtsPulse was an arts in health project that took place between 2007 and 2008 across Rotherham Borough and involved over 100 workshops with 6 key groups. Out of the project an evaluation toolkit has been developed for professionals as a user-friendly guide to evaluating arts and well-being projects.
Click here for ArtPulse Evaluation Toolkit PDF
Rotherham MBC For more information contact Rhiannon Lister-Coburn: Rhiannon.Lister-Coburn@rotherham.gov.uk
Pre-school nutrition
In May, Dead Earnest worked with the Cheshire & Merseyside Public Health Network (ChaMPs) as part of their conference on Pre-school nutrition and their Social marketing programme 'Snack Right'. We were commissioned to write two short plays. One featured a health worker who, despite her best intentions, scared parents off with her excessive evangelising and the other featured a health worker who took a less confrontational approach. Dead Earnest also worked with ChaMPs to help them build capability to deliver effective and sustainable healthy eating programmes for under fives.
Dead Earnest Theatre For more information contact Ashley Barnes: ashley@deadearnest.co.uk | www.deadearnest.co.uk | www.champs-for-health.net
End of Life Guidance
The General Medical Council has been writing up new guidance for doctors in the care of terminally ill patients. The guidance was launched at an event in London in June and Dead Earnest were invited to open the conference with a performance, to facilitate ways of the audience responding to the performance and then to run a later workshop with participants.
Dead Earnest Theatre For more information contact Ashley Barnes: ashley@deadearnest.co.uk | www.deadearnest.co.uk | www.gmc-uk.org/end_of_life_care
Every interaction counts
Dead Earnest worked with Patient Opinion and Rotherham Hospital to look at Care of the elderly at the hospital. The work was based on a posting to patientopinion.org about the care on an elderly ward from the son of a patient who was terminally ill. The subsequent bringing together of the family and health professionals at the hospital was a memorable and valuable experience.
"Your ability to create a safe and friendly space, which enabled a large group of people of very differing backgrounds to engage, contribute and feel valued was extraordinary. Your energy and focus made the whole day work" Dr James Munro, Patient Opinion.
Dead Earnest Theatre For more information contact Ashley Barnes: ashley@deadearnest.co.uk | www.deadearnest.co.uk | www.patientopinion.org
NHS Ambassadors
Throughout the start of the year we have been working with NHS staff from the support services (e.g. not front line care staff) to give them the skills to communicate to young people about the variety of professions within the NHS. This involved a programme of workshops in which the participants were able to reflect on their roles and then shape their experiences into lesson plans. These were delivered in schools and colleges throughout South Yorkshire.
Dead Earnest Theatre For more information contact Ashley Barnes: ashley@deadearnest.co.uk | www.deadearnest.co.uk
The Extra Mile
This is an experiential learning and development programme designed to develop the creative thinking and working skills of frontline professional service providers who need to rethink the way they currently engage with communities. The programme developed in partnership with Kirklees Adult Services Kirklees Neighbourhood Renewal and Kirklees PCT takes participants through a combination of theory, practice and reflective learning over a four-month period.
Open Art For more information contact: info@open-art.org.uk
Domestic Abuse
Dead Earnest has been working with Wakefield MD Council for the last two years to devise training pieces for council staff. The training is tied into new council ‘zero tolerance’ policy on domestic abuse. The pieces communicate the emotional, physical as well as material impact that domestic abuse can have and the role that colleagues, friends and employers have in challenging this kind of behaviour.
Dead Earnest For more information contact: daniel@deadearnest.co.uk www.deadearnest.co.uk
Cardiac and Surgical Development, Hull
The integrated arts programme for the Cardiac and Surgical Development at Castle Hill Hospital in Hull was completed in June 2009. The programme, managed and delivered by Open Art and commissioned by Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust, was designed to enhance the Procure 21 scheme by developing interior design specifications for the building and commissioned artists to produce art works and artistic interventions throughout the building.
Open Art For more information contact Von Allen: von@open-art.org.uk | www.open-art.org.uk
Journeys Towards Health
An arts programme in North Kirklees for what was then The North Kirklees PCT supporting the capital development (PFI) of 4 new health centres and one refurbished Intermediate Care Centre. The purpose of the arts programme was to enhance the overall healthcare environment, offer creative methods for involving patients, staff and local communities, and support and enhance the services and activities of the PCT
Open Art For more information contact: info@open-art.org.uk
Drama and CBT - Research
Dead Earnest are working with The Psychology Department of Sheffield Hallam University to see how modelling behaviour through drama can be married with Cognitive Behaviour Theory techniques to deliver real change to behaviour. We are currently in the early stages of planning and hope to actually start the project in autumn 2007.
Dead Earnest For more information contact: daniel@deadearnest.co.uk www.deadearnest.co.uk
These pages aim to build a picture of activity in this region, which can be used to facilitate exchange of information, knowledge and ideas, rather than endorse any particular projects, approaches or organisations.
Building the picture relies on contributions from people in the region. If you are developing or running a project in the region and would like to share that information, please complete the
Project / research information submission form.
Projects are categorised under the four broad themes of the Critical Connections programme: Healthy communities, Children and young people, Workforce development and Healthy building and environments. If a project falls outside of these themes it will be categorised as Other. Copy is provided unedited by project delivers.
Roots and wings is an arts and emotional health programme based at Chickenley Community J, I & N School in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire. The project uses a variety of artforms such as painting sculpture, drama, writing and storytelling. Through the project the pupils learn to recognise and understand their own emotions, this helps the pupils take positive decisions about their own learning and provides them with lifelong skills to help them make ‘better’ choices in later life.
Mary Robson For more information contact: Lisa Jagger at randw.chickenley@kirklees-schools.org.uk
Forge Arts for Health is a Barnsley healthy living centre funded by Fit For The Future and managed by Forge Community Partnership. The project takes a positive approach to health by providing a broad range of arts-based activity to promote health, improve well-being and quality of life for people of all ages and abilities. The project mainly delivers activities in the Forge Community Partnership area of Barnsley but is also able to deliver pilot activities and special events with groups throughout Barnsley. There are plans for Barnsley wide arts for health project from 2009.
Forge Arts for Health For more information contact: 01226 745 300
The colour of melodyThe colour of melody brings together visual art and music from India and works at reducing depression. Currently this project is being piloted with a group of women with post-natal depression. All women involved in the project are currently creating a mural using India as their inspiration.
Manasamitra For more information contact Supriya Nagarajan: info@manasamitra.com | www.manasamitra.com
The Handmade ParadeHEADS worked in partnership with Thingumajig Theatre to deliver the Hebden Bridge Handmade Parade. Older people from a local daycentre made beautiful decorated umbrellas that were proudly carried in the parade, alongside family members and participants of all ages. One older participant brought 4 generations of her family to parade with her! The project was so enjoyable for the older people who took part that this years parade workshops will be extended to include residents from local sheltered housing and their families, friends and carers.
HEADS For more information contact Jude Wadley: jude.wadley@heads.org.uk | www.heads.org.uk
Dance for Fitness
Dance for Life run regular classes in accordance with the B.E.E.P scheme in Bradford. The classes based around dance are an excellent way for adults to stay fit and healthy particularly those with health problems who have been advised to take up regular exercise. We run a wide selection of classes at different times weekly.
Dance for Life For more information contact Kate Williams: 01274 432 626 | kate.williams@bradford.gov.uk | www.danceforlife-bradford.org.uk
Drum Circle
We run a weekly drum circle with individuals referred by our local NE Lincolnshire mental health recovery team and the project is funded through Direct Payments. The aim of the workshops is to build individuals confidence and self esteem through regular creative activity.
Humbersound For more information contact: richard.nunn@ntlworld.com
Artlink West Yorkshire
Artlink is an innovative community arts organisation aiming to improve the lives of the most vulnerable members of the community through creative workshop programmes. We use the arts as a vehicle to independent living and recovery to enable participants to go on to achieve their personal potential and attain mental wellbeing. Our clients include long-term mental health service users, young people at risk, young learning disabled people, physically disabled adults and older people. A high proportion of our clients are mental health service users; many of them have multiple problems combining mental health, physical and learning disabilities. We are funded by arts@leeds, Arts Council England and Leeds City Council Adult Social Care.
Artlink West Yorkshire For more information contact Hayley Mason: 0113 243 1005 | info@artlinkwestyorks.org | www.artlinkwestyorks.org
The Big Weave
The Big Weave combines visual arts (crafts & video), music and dance to create a series of advanced groups for people with mental health needs who have attended open groups and are looking for a new challenge. Using stories, journeys and reflections drawn from participants the project will deliver a performance event in July.
HOOT For more information contact: info@hootmusic.co.uk | www.hootmusic.co.uk | www.myspace.com/hootsoundmove
Out of The Blue
This project is delivered in partnership with AIM (Artists in Mind) delivering a range of creative arts projects to enhance the health and wellbeing of people who experience, or are at risk of experiencing, mental health difficulties. The programme includes music, dance, visual arts, digital arts, creative writing, recording studio sessions and supported creative sanctuaries.
HOOT For more information contact: info@hootmusic.co.uk | www.hootmusic.co.uk | www.myspace.com/hootsoundmove
In The Raw This is a preventative project using the arts to promote positive mental health in one of the areas of Kirklees with a high incidence of health need. Based at Netherhall Learning campus in Rawthorpe the project has worked with music, photography, creative writing and visual arts to build a self-supporting group promoting health through creativity.
HOOT For more information contact: info@hootmusic.co.uk | www.hootmusic.co.uk | www.myspace.com/hootsoundmove
Key Change
Key Change offers creative groups and one-to-one sessions in music and music technology. It provides extra support through mentoring to help people with mental health needs make progress towards vocational training in creative and media studies, and to access creative activities in the community.
HOOT For more information contact: info@hootmusic.co.uk | www.hootmusic.co.uk | www.myspace.com/hootsoundmove
Breathing Space
This is a pilot project using the arts to engage with older people with mental health needs. The project will work with song-writing and recording, movement, and visual arts in two groups, one focused on people with dementia conditions and a second group with people with more general mental health problems.
HOOT For more information contact: info@hootmusic.co.uk | www.hootmusic.co.uk | www.myspace.com/hootsoundmove
Creative Therapies in Palliative Care in Kirklees
Visual creative therapies projects facilitated with adults with life limiting illnesses in a palliative day support and therapy unit in individual or group workshops since 2000 when the unit opened. Projects include textile art, watercolours, mosaics, sculpture, felt making, stained glass and collage. The feedback from the patients was that participating in a creative activity helped ease anxiety and pain as well as promoting well being, concentration and social inclusion.
Health Care Setting For more information contact Catherine Hill: catherinehill_965@hotmail.com
Service User Mentor Scheme (SUMS)
SUMS supports service users with acute and enduring mental health problems to develop artistically and socially, harnessing the power of creativity to benefit their health and well-being. SUMS changes lives: shifting self-perceptions from mentally ill “service user” to artist; increasing confidence, independence and self-worth; transforming relationships with themselves and society. SUMS provides: studio space & materials; mentoring; professional development support.
Artist In Mind For more information contact: info@artists-in-mind.org.uk www.artists-in-mind.org.uk
Mums the Word
Dead Earnest will be working with new mothers to devise a piece a drama dealing with the issue and challenges of post-natal depression. The devising process will be complimented by the development of an online portal for new mothers to share experiences and through which the piece, and reaction to it, will be broadcast and shared with parents across the globe.
Dead Earnest For more information contact: daniel@deadearnest.co.uk www.deadearnest.co.uk
ArtsPulse was an arts in health project that took place between 2007 and 2008 across Rotherham Borough and involved over 100 workshops with 6 key groups. Out of the project an evaluation toolkit has been developed for professionals as a user-friendly guide to evaluating arts and well-being projects.
Click here for ArtPulse Evaluation Toolkit PDF
Rotherham MBC For more information contact Rhiannon Lister-Coburn: Rhiannon.Lister-Coburn@rotherham.gov.uk
Pre-school nutrition
In May, Dead Earnest worked with the Cheshire & Merseyside Public Health Network (ChaMPs) as part of their conference on Pre-school nutrition and their Social marketing programme 'Snack Right'. We were commissioned to write two short plays. One featured a health worker who, despite her best intentions, scared parents off with her excessive evangelising and the other featured a health worker who took a less confrontational approach. Dead Earnest also worked with ChaMPs to help them build capability to deliver effective and sustainable healthy eating programmes for under fives.
Dead Earnest Theatre For more information contact Ashley Barnes: ashley@deadearnest.co.uk | www.deadearnest.co.uk | www.champs-for-health.net
End of Life Guidance
The General Medical Council has been writing up new guidance for doctors in the care of terminally ill patients. The guidance was launched at an event in London in June and Dead Earnest were invited to open the conference with a performance, to facilitate ways of the audience responding to the performance and then to run a later workshop with participants.
Dead Earnest Theatre For more information contact Ashley Barnes: ashley@deadearnest.co.uk | www.deadearnest.co.uk | www.gmc-uk.org/end_of_life_care
Every interaction counts
Dead Earnest worked with Patient Opinion and Rotherham Hospital to look at Care of the elderly at the hospital. The work was based on a posting to patientopinion.org about the care on an elderly ward from the son of a patient who was terminally ill. The subsequent bringing together of the family and health professionals at the hospital was a memorable and valuable experience.
"Your ability to create a safe and friendly space, which enabled a large group of people of very differing backgrounds to engage, contribute and feel valued was extraordinary. Your energy and focus made the whole day work" Dr James Munro, Patient Opinion.
Dead Earnest Theatre For more information contact Ashley Barnes: ashley@deadearnest.co.uk | www.deadearnest.co.uk | www.patientopinion.org
NHS Ambassadors
Throughout the start of the year we have been working with NHS staff from the support services (e.g. not front line care staff) to give them the skills to communicate to young people about the variety of professions within the NHS. This involved a programme of workshops in which the participants were able to reflect on their roles and then shape their experiences into lesson plans. These were delivered in schools and colleges throughout South Yorkshire.
Dead Earnest Theatre For more information contact Ashley Barnes: ashley@deadearnest.co.uk | www.deadearnest.co.uk
The Extra Mile
This is an experiential learning and development programme designed to develop the creative thinking and working skills of frontline professional service providers who need to rethink the way they currently engage with communities. The programme developed in partnership with Kirklees Adult Services Kirklees Neighbourhood Renewal and Kirklees PCT takes participants through a combination of theory, practice and reflective learning over a four-month period.
Open Art For more information contact: info@open-art.org.uk
Domestic Abuse
Dead Earnest has been working with Wakefield MD Council for the last two years to devise training pieces for council staff. The training is tied into new council ‘zero tolerance’ policy on domestic abuse. The pieces communicate the emotional, physical as well as material impact that domestic abuse can have and the role that colleagues, friends and employers have in challenging this kind of behaviour.
Dead Earnest For more information contact: daniel@deadearnest.co.uk www.deadearnest.co.uk
Cardiac and Surgical Development, HullThe integrated arts programme for the Cardiac and Surgical Development at Castle Hill Hospital in Hull was completed in June 2009. The programme, managed and delivered by Open Art and commissioned by Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust, was designed to enhance the Procure 21 scheme by developing interior design specifications for the building and commissioned artists to produce art works and artistic interventions throughout the building.
Open Art For more information contact Von Allen: von@open-art.org.uk | www.open-art.org.uk
Journeys Towards Health
An arts programme in North Kirklees for what was then The North Kirklees PCT supporting the capital development (PFI) of 4 new health centres and one refurbished Intermediate Care Centre. The purpose of the arts programme was to enhance the overall healthcare environment, offer creative methods for involving patients, staff and local communities, and support and enhance the services and activities of the PCT
Open Art For more information contact: info@open-art.org.uk
Dead Earnest are working with The Psychology Department of Sheffield Hallam University to see how modelling behaviour through drama can be married with Cognitive Behaviour Theory techniques to deliver real change to behaviour. We are currently in the early stages of planning and hope to actually start the project in autumn 2007.
Dead Earnest For more information contact: daniel@deadearnest.co.uk www.deadearnest.co.uk