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Blog

2 September 2020

Artists on the frontline – what support is available for artists’ wellbeing?

Practitioner wellbeing in the arts & (mental) health field has rightly become a hot topic, with the impact of COVID-19 on livelihoods making it only more so. We asked a few organisations what support they offer or would like to offer.

How literature can be a lifeline to support mental health

Rachel Parker of The Reader in Liverpool explains how they use shared reading of great literature to help improve mental health and resilience in settings including prisons, secure mental health units and the community.

Something to look forward to and rely on: creativity and mental health at Oakleaf Enterprises

Oakleaf are a mental health charity in Guildford, Surrey, offering creative workshops alongside other services to people recovering from mental ill-health.

Introducing Creatively Minded and Young

Our new report features 17 great organisations who work around arts and mental health with children and young people. Here are some of the observations we drew from reading and talking to them about their work.

Project eARTh: how High Peak Community Arts lifted spirits in lockdown

Project eARTh is a rural arts and mental health programme run by High Peak Community Arts, which champions collective working to create both indoor and outdoor artworks for the community.

Have a go

Chris Fite-Wassilak

With the release this month of the Artist in Time, commissioned by the Baring Foundation, Chris Fite-Wassilak talks about the making of the book and the perspectives it provided.

Clinging on in a tsunami

François Matarasso

Arts and health projects are vital in helping people cope and recover from the pandemic and its consequences - but the DCMS rescue package - welcome though it is - may not reach the small organisations and artists who do this work.

ARC Stockport: involving student social workers in creativity and mental health

ARC is a leading arts and mental health organisation which has for a number of years hosted student social workers as part of its creative programmes. Its Artistic Director, Jacqui Wood, explains.

Arts and creative resources for older people (and anyone else)

A page of creative initiatives and useful resources, originally developed to support particularly older people in isolation and in care homes during the COVID-19 crisis. Please do let us know about anything you're doing.

Soundcastle: creative music-making in an age of physical distancing

How do you find satisfaction making music together whilst apart? Soundcastle, who are working in creative music-making with people experiencing mental health problems, describe how they are adapting.