Creative Health in Action: celebrating the role of the arts on health and wellbeing
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This October we partnered with CreativeShift, University of Bristol and Culture West to co-produce Creative Health in Action, a joyous one-day celebration of creativity and health.
Over thirty local organisations and hundreds of community performers from Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire came together to showcase and discuss their work within the arts and health sector.
Panel discussions and a round table conversation also explored the role that creativity has on health, and included moving testimonies from people with lived experiences.
Today’s event is about celebrating and showcasing all the amazing programmes we have for creative health across the BNSSG area. It allows Senior Commissioners within our health system, to see the value of this work and invest in it. The aim is for more people to experience the benefits of creative health”
Steve Spiers, Programme Manager for Personalised Care, Sirona Care
All spaces across the venue were buzzing, with a packed schedule of live performances, interactive workshops, exhibitions, films and talks. Highlights included an immersive performance from Gerry’s Attic Dance Company, and a lively crowd singalong with the Bath Aphasia Choir! The afternoon culminated in an uplifting performance from Pulse: Bristol Beacon’s very own music and movement club for adults referred through social prescribing, based at Beacon Music Centre.
The day truly captured the essence of the creative health community. It was inspiring to see so many exciting discussions and new connections forming within the sector.
We spoke to Julie Matthews, co-director and founder of CreativeShift to hear more about her hopes for the future of creative health in the region.
”We’ve co-produced this event along with University of Bristol, Culture West, and Bristol Beacon. The event for us is about celebrating creative health, but it’s also very much more a working event that’s about building on what already exists, and connecting it more.
What’s really exciting being at our stall is to see people approach us and want to leave their contact details. People from the National Trust, the NHS, and other organisations have shown interest, which is really brilliant!
I’m hoping that what will come from this event today is a much more interconnected network across Bristol and beyond, consisting of people and organisations across health, community, and culture, all working together in a more holistic way. The creative health ecosystem provides an amazing resource for supporting people’s health and wellbeing. We can do that so much better if we work together on it’’.
Creative Health in Action has been an amazing event, first of all to amplify the voices of people that are often not heard in relation to Creative Health. There’s been loads of people here today who have really benefited…it’s been such a joyful day, to be able to celebrate the amazing work that’s happening in Bristol. I’m hoping that this will lead to lasting change in the creative health ecosystem across the region.”
Professor Helen Manchester, University of Bristol, Connecting through Culture as we Age
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A huge thank you to all of our contributors and partners for supporting Creative Health in Action.
It is hoped that this event will pave the way for future conversations around arts and health, so do stay in touch to hear more.
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