Black Country Arts & Health Commissioning Partnership




Year One
In 2006 a joint Arts and Health Commissioning Partnership group was established in the Black Country.  This consisted of representatives from Walsall Council Creative Development Team, Wolverhampton City Council, Sandwell MBC and Dudley MBC, together with their associated PCTs (Primary Care Trusts), Arts Council England West Midlands and NHS West Midlands.  The Commissioning Partnership decided to develop a joint framework for arts and health in the commissioning of healthy eating, nutrition and obesity-related services for children and young people.  This correlates with the Public Service Agreement (PSA) Target within the DCMS’ 2006-07 Business Plan to:

“Halt the year on year increase in obesity among children under 11 by 2010, in the context of a broader strategy to tackle obesity in the population as a whole”.

Year Two
In 2007 they developed and managed a pilot initiative,
Chewing It Over with creativityteam as the facilitating body. 
Click here to read more.

 Year Three
In 2008 Move It! was the second series of projects commissioned by the Black Country Arts and Health Commissioning Partnership.  Click here to read more.

 Year Four
In February 2009, Multistory, a community arts organisation based in Sandwell, were contracted to deliver an innovative arts & health project entitled What is Happiness? 
Click here to read more.

The Future
With the year-on-year success of joint arts and health commissioning in the Black Country, the Partnership formed Creative Health (Arts and Health) CIC in February 2009.  This is now the new independent Arts and Health Community Interest Company for the Black Country and the West Midlands.  You can read more about Creative Health here.