Culture, Health and Wellbeing Alliance: Practitioner support resources
Culture, Health and Wellbeing Alliance: Practitioner support resources
By
Culture, Health & Wellbeing Alliance
A range of ideas, opportunities and networks focussed on supporting the wellbeing of cultural practitioners. Curated by the Culture, Health and Wellbeing Alliance.
We know from our members that creative freelancers and organisations delivering culture and creativity for health and wellbeing - and in fact all socially engaged creative work - need more help to do their work in a healthy and sustainable way. Nicola Naismith's research 2019 report Artists Practising Well reflected a wider need across museums, heritage and freelance practice for logistical and emotional support. This has been backed up by our own sector surveys in 2020 and 2021.
This resource recognises that the wellbeing of the culture, health and wellbeing workforce and the communities it serves requires a combined and shared effort. It brings together a range of ideas, opportunities and networks focused on practitioner support.
If we are to work effectively to support health and wellbeing, practitioner support must be embedded in funding structures. All commissioning organisations must put plans in place to support freelancers. See our short report on the Practising Well Award, below, for ideas on how to do this.
Please get in touch at info@culturehealthandwellbeing.org.uk if you would like to promote any practice and thinking in this area on this page.
The resource includes a selection of GIFS from Kazzum Arts' animation, ‘Supporting professionals impacted by Trauma’
Culture Health and Wellbeing initiatives
Creative Well
In response to a series of conversations with Yorkshire and Humber members in June/July 2020, CHWA Regional Champions Deborah Munt and Sue Mackay collaborated with integrative arts psychotherapist Roshmi Lovatt to design Creative Well, a pilot programme supporting practitioner wellbeing.
Read the first version of the report, here.
We are currently fundraising to roll this programme out.
Mutual Support at the CHWA 2021 conference
Mutual Support was one of the four themes of our April 2021 conference, A Culture of Care. Head to the Mutual Support Padlet which was populated by panellists and attendees of the CHWA 2021 National Conference, A Culture of Care.
Research, Resources and Blogs
Artists Practising Well Report by Nicola Naismith
This report recognises that the practitioner, commissioner, organisational leader, funder and policy-maker all have roles to play in the health and wellbeing of creative practitioners, supporting them in their making of quality work. Read more
Becoming trauma-informed as an arts and mental health organisation: our journey so far - Alex Evans, Kazzum Arts
Alex Evans, Artistic Director at Kazzum Arts, explains the impact taking a trauma-informed approach has had on their arts work with children & young people, staff and artists, and throughout the organisation. Published by The Baring Foundation, June 2021. Read more
Artists on the frontline – what support is available for artists’ wellbeing?
The Barings Foundation's Harriet Lowe authored this article in Autumn 2020 in response to the the raising issue of practitioner wellbeing in the arts & (mental) health field, with the impact of COVID-19. Read more
An Artist in a Pandemic- a case study by Arts Derbyshire and Phil Davenport
A reflection on practice, connection and support. Read more
Please get in touch at info@culturehealthandwellbeing.org.uk if you would like to promote any practice and thinking in this area.
More resources from Culture Health and Wellbeing
