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Hello from Fe,

I'm Fe, LAHWN member and part of the management team, and I’ll be babysitting our fabulous LAHWN newsletter for a few editions, now that our wonderful, beloved and fantastic, superhuman Geraldine Montgomerie has moved onto use her super powers at Swan Song Project. For the next few months we'll aim to bring you all the latest news from the world of arts and health at the end of each month.  

Coming up in the next couple of weeks we have Yorkshire Dance's Ageless Festival, and the next in the series of the Culture of Mental Health gatherings. Enjoy!
 

What's been happening in arts and health in Leeds and beyond?

Many readers will know that we’re awaiting the publication of the summative report of the Thriving Communities Fund. This Fund was launched in 2020 to support local voluntary, community, faith and social enterprise (VCSFSE) projects that bring together place-based partnerships to improve and increase social prescribing community activities – especially for those people most impacted by COVID-19 and health inequalities. In Leeds, a large consortium of strategic and delivery partners, led by Space2, Yorkshire Cricket Foundation and Feel Good Factor, were awarded funding. 

Art Doctors, as arts partner on the Leeds Thriving Communities Fund project, have released a film about their work with Linking Leeds Wellbeing Coordinators.  You can see what they've been up to in this film.

What's happening in LAHWN's focus areas?

 LAHWN and Forum Central's 'A Cultural of Mental Health' meetings bring together a range of perspectives on urgent themes and priorities in arts and mental health. The next session will take place on Thursday 30th June, 3-4pm, please register below.

This session will spotlight recommendations to embed and sustain arts and creativity in mental health support as part of a national report - From Surviving to Thriving - written by LAHWN members: https://www.culturehealthandwellbeing.org.uk/surviving-thriving-building-model-sustainable-practice-creativity-and-mental-health 

 

Book Culture of Mental Health session

On 1st and 2nd July Yorkshire Dance presents Ageless Festival with an eclectic mix of bold new dance performances, inspirational talks, workshops and classes from both local and international dance artists.

The bi-annual Ageless Festival invites audiences and participants to become curious about how age can be embraced and interpreted through dance and celebrates the health benefits of dancing into older age. 

Hannah Robertshaw, Programmes Director of Yorkshire Dance commented, “the festival feels even more vital and important than ever; bringing people together, questioning, celebrating and sharing the common language of dance.”  

Tickets for all performances and workshops must be booked in advance, with some performances and workshops offered on a ‘Pay As You Feel’ basis. A Friday festival pass is £30 (concession) or £40 (Individual) and grants access to the full festival programme including lunch. 

Click here for more info

Creative Health and Quality Framework 

Image by Dave Shrigley

The Culture Health and Wellbeing Alliance (CHWA), funded by Arts Council England, is working with arts, health and wellbeing consultant Jane Willis to develop a Quality Framework with the Creative Health sector.  

Quality is a situated concept. It will mean different things to each of us depending on what’s important to us and the context in which we work, the communities with whom we work, the nature of our practice and what we aim to deliver. As Francois Matarasso states,  

“an arts programme cannot be judged good (or bad), unless the concept of good is defined. Good for what? Good for whom? Good in comparison with what?”  

Through this project, CHWA will work with the sector to understand and articulate what constitutes “good” for those working within the context of Creative Health. 

Read more
You can find resources to support work in arts and health on our updated LAHWN website including local and national networks, communities, organisations, training and development.  

Opportunities for members and their networks in arts and health:

We talk about how art and creativity can help with our wellbeing all the time. It's what we're all about here at LAHWN and all members are championing this in their own wonderful ways.  

Sharing is caring, so how about the lovely art, health and wellbeing crusaders at LAHWN share what you do with art and crafts to help your wellbeing. It would be great to see what everybody creates to combat any mal-constitutions we’ve all experienced. 
Send us a picture on Twitter @LeedsAHWN and we’ll feature one in the next newsletter. 

LAHWN member Lanson Moore uses her own practice as an abstract artist (one of Lanson's paintings is shown above) to help with the grief of losing her father. She discovered the benefits of healing and increasing wellbeing using art early in her life and now as an artist she continues to utilise art, as well as writing to bring balance to herself and other people.  She kindly shares her experience of the loss of her father and the art that was produced in reaction to that experience. 

Read more

Light On Leeds features community wall art project

Light on Leeds podcast has featured lots of projects and people who work in the area of arts and health. Here's a recent example that includes benefits to street artists and local communities of taking part in a locally funded public project. Garance Rawinsky discusses with host Hazel Millchamp the Little Woodhouse Street Art Project run by the Little Woodhouse Community Association in conjunction with Leeds Civic Trust - they worked together to promote positive action in the community. 
 
Fed up of graffiti and "tagging" they worked together with taggers, teaching them new skills and allowing them to legitimately create street art in Little Woodhouse to brighten up the area for residents. 
 

Listen here to Light on Leeds
If you would like to share Arts and Health work or connect with and support network members by recommending resources and opportunities, please get in touch:
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