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Blog

British Ceramics Biennial: Reflections on the benefits and challenges of online creativity during Covid-19

Kat Evans and team

Artists and participants at the British Ceramics Biennial Health programme reflect on delivering and taking part in a programme centred usually around clay in a studio.

The transformative power of comedy: the Comedy Asylum

The Comedy Asylum is a unique platform for people involved with Leicester mental health services to develop and showcase their comedic abilities including at the Leicester Comedy Festival.

Participatory arts in an age of physical distancing – responses from the Arts & Mental Health sector

Five organisations told us how they are continuing to deliver creative sessions to participants, how they are trying to bridge the digital divide at short notice, and what they are learning from the COVID-19 experience.

Creative ageing – the COVID-19 crisis and after

The magnificent response from the arts to support older people in isolation is not an accident - but down to the growth of a powerful creative ageing movement. Support must continue even in incredibly tough times for the arts.

Give those feelings ceilings – my reflections on art and mental health

George Harding is the cover artist for Creatively Minded. In this blog he explains how he came to painting and the importance of organisations like Bethlem Gallery and the Studio Upstairs in helping people to be creative.

Being creative and being together: Creative Alternatives Online

Jessica Bockler, Creative Alternatives

Creative Alternatives - an arts-on-prescription service in Merseyside - developed an online version of their arts programme in 2017. Its Director explains how they are now building on this work during the COVID-19 crisis.

Print-making workshops for older men with Highland Print Studio

Alison McMenemy, Highland Print Studio

Highland Print Studio's brilliant Wise Guys project was an unusual example of a creative ageing initiative aimed at older men and is one of the highlights of our new report On Diversity and Creative Ageing.

19 February 2020

Art is a map back to yourself: Dolly Sen on the launch of Creatively Minded

Artist Dolly Sen makes the case for the role of creativity in the lives of people with mental health problems to launch our new report - Creatively Minded: an initial mapping study of participatory arts and mental health activity in the UK.

13 February 2020

Celebrating the stories of older LGBTQ+ people in Brighton

Lee Smith, New Writing South

The stories of older LGBTQ+ people will be at the heart of a brand new theatre festival later this year, thanks to the 'Celebrating Stories' project, one of the highlights of our new report On Diversity and Creative Ageing.

18 December 2019

After the end

Our Arts & Older People programme is ending this year, but there are some exciting events early next year, as well as key grants to support ongoing development of the creative ageing sector.