Visions of Reality
The next few years will be challenging; changing priorities combined with funding cuts will mean we will need to be clearer about the role the arts plays in furthering health and well being.
Arts and Health: Visions of Reality brought together some of the most experienced workers in the country together to share their visions of how arts and work will be developed during the next decade and to answer questions.
The live debate took place on Thursday 29th April 2010 at Staffordshire University. Over 100 people attended and joined the panel in a thought-provoking discussion, which was chaired by Mark Webster. The panel opened the debate with their visions for the future of Arts and Health:
Clive Parkinson (watch video), Director of Arts for Health at Manchester Metropolitan University, the UK’s longest established Arts and Health unit. He was project lead on the HM Treasury funded 'Invest to Save: Arts in Health' project and is a passionate advocate for culture and the arts. Clive felt that Arts and Health should be the ‘zeitgeist’ of the 21st Century, contributing to our civic society and capturing people’s imaginations. We shouldn't mainstream arts and health practice, or impose too many benchmarks on its development. Visit Clive’s blog for more.
Kate Broom (watch video), Birmingham City University. Kate is the Course Director of the MA Art, Health and Well-being and brings an extensive knowledge of arts and mental health. Kate noted that our students are our future and that there are currently a number of opportunities for accredited training within the arts and health field.
Professor Michael Murray (watch video), Professor of Applied Social and Health Psychology at Keele University. One of Michael's interests is how arts and health, community arts and other community activities are used as a means of social reflection and social change. He said that he felt arts and health can make a huge contribution to community solidarity, tackling injustices and struggles within society.
Damian Hebron (watch video), London Arts in Health Forum. Damian works with the Forum to promote understanding of the role the arts and creativity plays in healthcare. He is also responsible for developing the new National Arts and Health Forum. He commented that the health sector is continually changing. Current ‘hot’ issues where the arts can play a major role include patients' stronger position; an increasingly ageing population; dementia; mental health and addiction issues.
Karen Bell (watch video), Director Creative Health CIC and independent Arts and Health agency creativityteam. Karen brings in depth knowledge of commissioning Arts and Health work which meets a range of health outcomes. She spoke about the personalisation agenda and the emphasis on the individual within a social care context. Health and social care sectors are more ‘joined-up’ and there is a stronger role for the 3rd sector (including the arts). It will be important to demonstrate the value of early intervention / prevention programmes, meet social outcomes and include arts providers on commissioning menus.
Maxwell Bailey (watch video), Principal Arts Officer, Walsall Council Creative Development Team. Max leads the Team's nationally acclaimed Arts and Health work and brings considerable experience of partnership working across the Black Country. Max asserted that arts and health planning can only be done on a 2-3 year basis, not 10 years. Post election, we will have to deal with a reduction in public funding so pooling delivery, wider partnerships and cross-working are key. Streamlining and change is important and there is a need for innovation, sharing of best practice, networking and dissemination in order to grow.
Kate Broom (watch video), Birmingham City University. Kate is the Course Director of the MA Art, Health and Well-being and brings an extensive knowledge of arts and mental health. Kate noted that our students are our future and that there are currently a number of opportunities for accredited training within the arts and health field.
Professor Michael Murray (watch video), Professor of Applied Social and Health Psychology at Keele University. One of Michael's interests is how arts and health, community arts and other community activities are used as a means of social reflection and social change. He said that he felt arts and health can make a huge contribution to community solidarity, tackling injustices and struggles within society.
Damian Hebron (watch video), London Arts in Health Forum. Damian works with the Forum to promote understanding of the role the arts and creativity plays in healthcare. He is also responsible for developing the new National Arts and Health Forum. He commented that the health sector is continually changing. Current ‘hot’ issues where the arts can play a major role include patients' stronger position; an increasingly ageing population; dementia; mental health and addiction issues.
Karen Bell (watch video), Director Creative Health CIC and independent Arts and Health agency creativityteam. Karen brings in depth knowledge of commissioning Arts and Health work which meets a range of health outcomes. She spoke about the personalisation agenda and the emphasis on the individual within a social care context. Health and social care sectors are more ‘joined-up’ and there is a stronger role for the 3rd sector (including the arts). It will be important to demonstrate the value of early intervention / prevention programmes, meet social outcomes and include arts providers on commissioning menus.
Maxwell Bailey (watch video), Principal Arts Officer, Walsall Council Creative Development Team. Max leads the Team's nationally acclaimed Arts and Health work and brings considerable experience of partnership working across the Black Country. Max asserted that arts and health planning can only be done on a 2-3 year basis, not 10 years. Post election, we will have to deal with a reduction in public funding so pooling delivery, wider partnerships and cross-working are key. Streamlining and change is important and there is a need for innovation, sharing of best practice, networking and dissemination in order to grow.
The debate continued with key questions from the audience. These discussions were interspersed with short project presentations shared by each of the panel members.
If you were in attendance, and did not complete an evaluation form but want to have your say, please find an online survey here so that we can build on the success of this event for the future.
So now help us add to the debate - what do you think the future for arts and health will be?
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